Center Joe Colborne signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Flames, the team announced, avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 1. Financial terms were not disclosed, but TSN reports it is worth $1.275 million annually.

"There's no real rush. We didn't need to force our way through it," Colborne told the Flames website. "We took our time and I think it ended up being a pretty fair deal for both sides."

Forward Antoine Roussel and the Dallas Stars agreed to a four-year contract Tuesday, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing just before it was scheduled to start. The team said the deal is worth $8 million, an average annual value of $2 million.

Roussel, 24, had 14 goals and 29 points in 81 games last season and was third in the NHL with 209 penalty minutes. He had three assists and 27 penalty minutes in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Forward David Booth signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail reports Booth will earn $1.1 million.

Booth, 29, received a compliance buyout from the Vancouver Canucks in June. He had nine goals and 19 points in 66 games last season and had one year at $4.75 million remaining on a six-year contract he signed prior to the 2009-10 season while with the Florida Panthers.

The Vancouver Canucks signed forwards Darren Archibald and Brandon DeFazio, the team announced Tuesday. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Archibald, 24, had one goal and three points in 16 games last season in his NHL debut. He had 10 goals and 22 points in 59 games for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.

DeFazio, 25, had 17 goals, 34 points and 106 penalty minutes in 76 games with the Comets.

The new-look Pacific Division broke into two tiers for the 2013-14: The California teams were on one level and the other four clubs were far off the pace.

Depending on what happens with the curious case of the San Jose Sharks' rebuilding project, it looks like those tiers could be in place again in 2014-15. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks will expect to contend for the Stanley Cup, and the Sharks might be in the group of potential champions if their summer makeover doesn't reach extreme status.

Anaheim and San Jose were one victory away from knocking Los Angeles out of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kings return nearly everyone and will be seeking a third NHL title in four seasons.

The other four teams are trying to return to the playoffs. Given the way teams in the Central Division have loaded up, it might be difficult for the Pacific to squeeze a fourth back into the postseason.

The Anaheim Ducks re-signed defenseman Sami Vatanen to a two-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.

No financial terms were disclosed, but Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reports the deal will pay Vatanen $1,250,000 in 2014-15 and $1,275,000 in 2015-16.

Vatanen, 23, had six goals, 21 points, 22 penalty minutes and was plus-9 in 48 games with the Ducks last season. He was tied for fifth in goals among NHL rookie defensemen and was sixth in plus/minus. Vatanen had one assist in five Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Cody Franson

Defense - TOR

GOALS: 5 | ASST: 28 | PTS: 33
SOG: 115 | +/-: -20

Multiple media reports said the contract will pay Franson $3.3 million this season. He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

"I'm preparing to come to camp in good shape and I'm going to work toward putting my best foot forward here and getting off to a good start," Franson said.

Vladimir Sobotka

Left Wing - STL

GOALS: 9 | ASST: 24 | PTS: 33
SOG: 102 | +/-: 14

Sobotka will play with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2014-15.

"We are looking forward to having Vladimir in a Blues uniform when he returns to the NHL," general manager Doug Armstrong said. "We wish him the best of luck in the upcoming season."

The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with right wing Lee Stempniak, the team announced Saturday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but multiple media outlets are reporting it's a one-year contract worth $900,000.

Stempniak, 31, played 73 games last season with the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins. He had 12 goals, 22 assists and 32 penalty minutes.

Stempniak began the season with Calgary and had a point in nine of his first 10 games. After being traded to Pittsburgh for a third-round draft pick, he made his Penguins debut on March 6 and had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) and a plus-5 rating in 21 games. He had two goals and one assist for the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Winnipeg Jets agreed to terms with forwards John Albert, Patrice Cormier and Eric O'Dell, the team announced Saturday.

Albert, 25, agreed to a one-year, two-way contract worth $585,000. Last season, he played in nine games for Winnipeg and scored in his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on Dec. 2.