Boston Bruins center Marc Savard(notes) has missed fourteen games in a row with a broken foot and isn't likely to play tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, but the Bruins are ready to throw a bunch of cash at him, anyway, to extend his contract, according to the Boston Herald.

The deal for the 32-year-old is supposedly for seven years and $39 million. That's $5.7 million a year for those of you keeping score at home. He reportedly could have signed an extension worth $6.5 million a year, but that was only for three years.

He supposedly will be back in action on Monday against the St. Louis Blues: "I feel great out there. You've got to put in your time, though," Savard said. "You've got to skate a couple of times. I'd love to be playing ... but I've got to wait a bit."

Source: Boston Herald

Now that the Chicago Blackhawks have got youngsters Jonathan Toews(notes) and Patrick Kane(notes) extremely close to being tied up in contract extensions, the team is supposedly close to finishing off a long-term extension for defenseman Duncan Keith(notes), according to ESPN.

The rumor is that the Blackhawks would like to keep Keith in town until he decides to hang up his skates years down the road. The extension could be for as low as eight years and as high as 13.

And why not? The 26-year-old All-Star is considered one of the best defensemen in the league and regularly is a leader in minutes played for the team. In 2006-7, he had 31 points with 29 assists and 2 goals and led the team in blocked shots with 148.

Source: ESPN

The word is that the Florida Panthers will finally get new ownership, according to the Miami Herald. Minority owners Stuart Siegel and Cliff Viner will take over the team.

Siegel played in college at Penn and apparently still plays a fair amount.

"From what they have said, they are committed to making us a better team," said defenseman Keith Ballard(notes). "It's good that things are settled now. It's one less thing to worry about whether you are signed here for one year or eight.''

The team has supposedly lost $10 million a year since it was bought from Wayne Huizenga in 2001. Last year, that number supposedly went up to around $14 million. These two guys are obviously hoping for a different result.
The league still needs to approve the deal.

Source: Miami Herald

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks are trying to unload the $6 million contract of goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere but aren't having much luck. The Detroit Red Wings aren't going to give them much help, either, according to the Detroit News. The Wings aren't expected to make an offer for Giguere at this juncture.

The Red Wings are apparently happy to go with their aging goaltender, Chris Osgood(notes). And why not? The guy has 395 wins in his career (50 of them shutouts) and has helped the team to two straight visits to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Meanwhile, the Ducks are left trying to get rid of Giguere, who has been relegated to a backup role to Jonas Hiller(notes). He's lost all three of his starts this year, letting 13 pucks past his blocker on 124 shots. Ouch.

Source: Detroit News

Peter Forsberg(notes) finally got some actual interest from an NHL team to bring him back to North America and then he decides that he's just not ready to play the NHL game just yet, according to the Camden Courier-Post.

The general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, Paul Holmgren, supposedly expressed formal interest to Forsberg's agent about bringing him back but then Forsberg had his agent tell Holmgren and everybody else in the NHL that he needed more time before returning to build up some stamina and "feel comfortable skating." Yes, that would be a key ingredient.

This could be it for the 36-year-old Swede as far as NHL teams coming after him. Or, more likely, this will be a game that is played all season long with Forsberg thinking about signing and then backing away.

Source: Camden Courier Post

NHL legend Chris Chelios(notes) has been trying to get any NHL team to at least take a look at him. It appears his wish has been granted.

The Phoenix Coyotes will apparently send general manager Don Maloney to San Antonio this Friday to watch Chelios play with his current team, the Chicago Wolves, according to the Toronto Sun.

The 47-year-old defenseman would love to return to the NHL. "He's there, he's savvy and he's in great shape," Maloney said. "(But) I don't know. The pace of the NHL game is so quick."

No conversations have apparently taken place between Chelios and the Coyotes as of yet.

Source: Toronto Sun

With Simon Gagne(notes) out for six to eight weeks, the Philadelphia Flyers might get a little jumpy when trying to find some quick offensive help, but it appears that Peter Forsberg(notes) isn't going to be a name that fills that need, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

The word now apparently is that Swedish hockey legend Forsberg could be headed off to play for Russia's Kontinental League. Forsberg is supposedly planning on signing with Ak Bars Kazan for multiple years and megabucks.

The thought in some parts of the NHL is that Forsberg can't keep his right foot and ankle healthy anymore. He told the Colorado Avalanche two years ago that he was healthy. Then he played in 13 games for the team. That cost him a lot in GM offices around the league.

For now, he'll have to stick with the Swedish National Team. Worst case scenario, he'll play again for MoDo, his hometown team.

Source: Philadelphia Daily News

Swedish superstar Peter Forsberg(notes) wants back into the NHL this season and it's looking like he could return to one of his old teams, the Philadelphia Flyers.

Forsberg actually has two former stints in the Philadelphia organization. During one, he was the overseas throw-in in the trade with the Quebec Nordiques for Eric Lindros(notes).

Now the Flyers are apparently thinking they'd like to have Forsberg back again, especially since the team just lost Simon Gagne(notes) for six to eight weeks. According to The Fourth Period, the team is sending scout (and former Flyer great) Ilkka Sinisalo to Europe to check Forsberg out in the Karjala Cup, which starts on Thursday.

Folks from the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, and another Forsberg former team, the Colorado Avalanche, are all expected to be there as well.

Source: The Fourth Period

The Florida Panthers have been falling apart since the team was bought from Wayne Huizenga back in 2001 and now majority owner Alan Cohen wants a little less to do with it. He's apparently trying to sell his majority ownership to his minority owners, Cliff Viner and Stuart Siegel, according to The Inquirer.

Since Cohen and friends bought the team, it's been losing steam - and money. The team has supposedly lost $100 million in that time. Last year, it averaged 15,621 disgruntled fans, 24th in the league. The team also has the infamy of being involved in some lopsided trades in the past few years, including the one that sent goaltender Roberto Luongo(notes) to the Vancouver Canucks.

Source: The Inquirer

The Phoenix Coyotes may finally have someone who is interested in buying it. The owners of the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon, are apparently thinking that they may make a bid, according to the Toronto Globe and Mail.

At least one of the pair will meet with folks in Phoenix next week. They apparently broke off from the Ice Edge group that put a bid in on the team earlier in the process.

They supposedly have around a dozen other financial backers who want to jump into ownership with them.

Meanwhile, the NHL is likely to get approval next week to buy the Coyotes and re-pay its $140 million in debts. Then the league will re-sell the team and the Argonauts owners would apparently like to be the ones who snag it.

Source: The Globe and Mail