Defenseman Andrej Sustr has signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team announced Friday.

VANCOUVER -- Radim Vrbata wasn't the Vancouver Canucks' first choice to cure their scoring woes in free agency. That's OK; the feeling was mutual.

After failing to lure Jarome Iginla, who instead went to the Colorado Avalanche on the opening day of NHL free agency Tuesday, the Canucks signed free-agent forward Vrbata to two-year, $10 million contract Wednesday night.

Before agreeing, Vrbata checked back in with the Arizona Coyotes, who were willing to offer a longer contract but not the no-trade clause he wanted. He also turned down a four-year offer from another team.

"I am not going to lie, it wasn't easy," Vrbata said Thursday of leaving Arizona. "We have been there six years and always really liked it. I liked it from a hockey standpoint and we liked it off the ice, so it was a tough decision."

The Canucks made the choice easier by telling Vrbata he will get a chance to play with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin on the top line and on a first power-play unit that struggled last season.

The Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday agreed to terms on a one-year, $1 million contract with free agent center Jay McClement.

The Dallas Stars on Wednesday re-signed center Vernon Fiddler to a two-year contract. No financial terms were disclosed, but ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun reports Fiddler will earn $1 million in 2014-15 and $1.5 million the following season.

BUFFALO -- The Buffalo Sabres finished with the NHL's worst record last season. That hasn't kept them from being a desired landing place for free agents.

The Sabres introduced one of those free agents, Brian Gionta, at a press conference Wednesday, one day after signing him to a three-year contract. Gionta was one of five veterans acquired by the Sabres on Tuesday.

"I think there's a lot of excitement," Gionta said. "You bring in a couple guys via either free agency or trade and I think the excitement level has just gotten a lot bigger. You can see it the last day-and-a-half; guys are excited, guys want to be here and guys want to play for the Sabres. That's the first step."

The Winnipeg Jets re-signed goalie Michael Hutchinson to a two-year contract worth $1.15 million, the team announced Wednesday. Hutchinson was a restricted free agent.

The New York Islanders bolstered their offense Wednesday by signing unrestricted free-agent forwards Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin each to a four-year contract.

Financial terms were not released, but Newsday reported the total value of Grabovski's contract is $20 million and Kulemin's is $16.75 million.

Newly signed Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was expecting an eventful summer, but he never saw this coming.

After a contract buyout by the Buffalo Sabres that unexpectedly thrust him into the free-agent market, Ehrhoff is excited by the chance to revive his career with a Pittsburgh team going through several changes of its own.

Ehrhoff was at his offseason home in Germany when he received a phone call Sunday from his agent, Rick Curran. It was almost 7 a.m. ET when Curran called, so Ehrhoff knew it must have been important.

"My initial thought was I might have been traded," Ehrhoff said Wednesday. "It was different news."

Center Olli Jokinen signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

"Olli Jokinen is a proven veteran center who will provide us with size, leadership and offensive ability in the tough Central Division and Western Conference," general manager David Poile said in a statement. "He provides our coaching staff with more depth and options at the forward position and coach [Peter] Laviolette believes he is a good fit for our style of play."

Martin Brodeur is doing something he has never done before in his illustrious 21-season NHL career. There's no telling how long it will last.

He is searching for a job.

Brodeur is an unrestricted free agent and has never been in the position of needing to look for work. Then again, Brodeur, the NHL's all-time leader in wins, shutouts and just about any other goaltender stat there is, has never been a potential backup goalie or a free agent beyond July 2.