As if the blow the Red Wings dealt to the Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals wasn't enough, the Red Wings added injury to insult today by signing Marian Hossa to a one year, $7.4 million deal, according to TSN reports. The Penguins acquired Hossa at the trade deadline last year, along with Pascal Dupuis, in an attempt to make a run at the Stanley Cup. To land the pair, the Penguins parted with Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, 2007 first round pick Angelo Esposito, and their first round pick in the 2008 draft.

Hossa now joins a Red Wings team that absolutley dominatedthe Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals, making the Wings that much more of a favorite to repeat for the Cup this season. Hossa joins an elite scoring unit that also features Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Johan Franzen. Hossa scored 12 goals and 14 assists for the Penguins in the playoffs, playing a huge role in getting the team to the finals.

The Red Wings also added Pittsburgh's backup goalie, Ty Conklin, who will replace the recently retired Dominik Hasek to serve as Chris Osgood's backup. Conklin played in 23 games for the Penguins, with a 2.51 GAA and a .923 save percentage, playing a huge role as the starting goalie while Mark-Andre Fleury was out with an injury.

Chicago adds a strong pair

The Chicago Blackhawks made a big splash in the first day of free agency yesterday, signing goaltender Cristobal Huet, and star defenseman Brian Campbell. Huet was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Washington Capitals, while Campbell was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the San Jose Sharks, both trades coming at the deadline last year.

Huet will replace the duo of Nikolai Khabibulin and Patrick Lalime in the Chicago net. Lalime signed with Buffalo yesterday, and current speculation has Chicago dealing Khabibulin. Huet played in 52 games last year, with a 2.32 GAA, and a .920 save percentage. After being traded to the Capitals, Huet went 11-2 with a 1.63 GAA and a .936 save percentage, playing a huge role in getting the Capitals in to the playoffs.

Campbell is one of the best defenders in the NHL, and is a huge addition for the Blackhawks, especially with their new, young netminder. In 20 games with the Sharks, Campbell recorded 16 assists and 19 points, and played a huge role in boosting the performance of Patrick Marleau. Campbell will not only boost the Blackhawks' defense, but will play a big role in assisting in the performance of guys like Jonathan Toews and Robert Lang.

Washington, Colorado going for new options in net

The Capitals traded for Cristobal Huet at the deadline to replace the struggling pair of Olaf Kolzig and Brent Johnson. Unable to sign Huet, the Capitals inked Jose Theodore to a two year, $9 million deal. Theodore was the starter in Colorado last season, posting a 2.44 GAA. However, Theodore fell apart in the playoffs against the Red Wings, allowing 15 goals in the four game sweep.

In response to losing Theodore, the Avalanche added Andrew Raycroft, who is coming off a horrible year with Toronto. Raycroft allowed a 3.92 GAA with a 2-9 record, earning him the backup role for the Maple Leafs. Colorado added Theodore in 2005-06 after posting a 3.46 GAA with the Canadiens, and saw the netminder turn his performance around the next two years. Colorado can only hope for the same result with Raycroft, or else this move will be a huge step down for the Avalanche.

The Blackhawks were the big winners in the goalie sweepstakes, signing Huet. As a result, Washington and Colorado each saw downgrades in net, with Washington getting a productive goalie, and Colorado going from that productive goalie to a big question mark. The downgrades could be enough to keep each of these teams from the playoffs next season, unless Raycroft sees a huge turnaround, and Theodore shows that the quarter finals against the Red Wings was just a fluke.