AP News
(2009-07-07 20:08:47)
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Ottawa Senators signed free-agent forward Alex Kovalev to a two-year contract, the team said on Monday.
Kovalev spent most of the past five years with the Montreal Canadiens, leading Ottawa's Northeast division rivals with 26 goals and 65 points in the 2008/09 regular season.
"All I know is when I coached or watched our team play in the last couple of years against Montreal, every time he came on the ice, I was scared to death he was going to be the difference in the game," Senators General Manager Bryan Murray told reporters.
"Some nights, he certainly was."
Murray said team owner Eugene Melnyk "was adamant that if we could get (Kovalev), go do it."
In 16 NHL seasons, Kovalev has scored 394 goals and compiled 941 points.
"I think he's one of the most entertaining players in the league," Murray added.
In other NHL moves on Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed former Anaheim defenseman Francois Beauchemin to a three-year deal, and the Chicago Blackhawks kept defenseman Cam Barker with a three-year extension worth a reported $9.25 million.
The Detroit Red Wings retained left wing Ville Leino, signing him to a two-year, $1.6 million contract
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
