OTHL -- And so has the UFA period seen its first couple of signings. Heading north, Chris Gratton leaves San Jose and the Western Conference after two seasons, as he signed a 3 year deal worth $3,25 million dollars with the Boston Bruins. Gratton coming off a 46 point season, will now try and improve those numbers wearing the black and gold of the Bruins. Gratton will now have to fight with Michal Handzus, Slava Kozlov and Pavel Datsyuk over playing time in Beantown.
The second signing of the day saw goaltender Chris Osgood leave Detroit and the Red Wings. However, Osgood will stay in the central division as he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets who surprised everyone with a 7th place in the western conference last season, now have a seasoned goalie who knows what it takes to win playoff games. But the Blue Jackets hopes that he can regain his old form rather quickly, as he comes into the 2006-2007 season with a 47-62-21 record in his OTHL career with Minnesota and Detroit.
· Another central division team that looked at the goaltending position was the Chicago Blackhawks who signed finish veteran Niklas Bäckström to a 2 year deal. Having spent most of his career in the finnish league, the 28 year old Bäckström will now finally have a chance in the OTHL.
· Patrick Thoresen will be Toronto's first Norwegian player as he signed a 4 year deal with the Leafs today. Thoresen a undrafted 22 year old has played two season in the QMJHL with the Moncton Wildcats and Baie-Comeau Drakkar before he joined Djurgårdens IF in Sweden for 2½ seasons.
· Buffalo looked to Switzerland for there first signing in the off-season. 31 year old winger Patrick Fischer has 14 seasons in the highest league in Switzerland behind him. Now he will see if he can transfer his game to the OTHL.