Hasek to Sign with Ottawa, Devereaux Heads to Phoenix

The Detroit Red Wings lost two players to free agency on Monday as the Ottawa Senators announced that they would sign and name Dominik Hasek as their starting goaltender on Tuesday and the Phoenix Coyotes came to terms with forward Boyd Devereaux.

The terms of Hasek’s deal with the Senators are unknown. He was set to make $6 million last season before he voluntarily stopped collecting his salary in February after a season-ending groin injury.

Devereaux’s deal with the Coyotes is reportedly a one-year deal with a base salary of $650,000. The contract includes an option for a second year and performance-based bonuses that could raise Devereaux’s salary to $1.6 million over two years.

The Red Wings did not attempt to resign Hasek and had given him permission to speak with other teams at the end of the season. Hasek helped Detroit win the Stanley Cup in 2002 before retiring that summer. The Red Wings signed Curtis Joseph to replace him but Hasek returned to the team in the summer of 2003, creating a logjam in the crease. Joseph will be the starter in Detroit next season.

Detroit did not tender Devereaux a qualifying offer by the July 1 deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Red Wings could have kept him off the market if they had offered him a deal based on the $1.6 million he made last season. They had hoped to bring him back at a reduced price but Devereaux was hoping to find a team where he could get more quality playing time.

Remaining free agent Red Wings include Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan and Mathieu Schneider. Brett Hull and Steve Thomas have been told they will not be brought back next year. Restricted free agents include Matheiu Dandenault, Pavel Datsyuk, Jiri Fischer and Jason Williams. Kris Draper already signed a 4-year deal with the Red Wings.