NHL notebook: Panthers, Flames swing five-player deal

Hamilton, 25, produced 17 goals and 27 assists in 82 games for the Flames last
season. The defenseman has 220 points in 423 career games with Calgary and
Boston after being taken No. 9 overall in 2011 by the Bruins.

Hanifin, a 21-year-old defenseman, established career highs with 10 goals and
32 points in his third NHL season and was selected for his first All-Star
Game. He will be a restricted free agent this offseason.

Lindholm, a 23-year-old center, also becomes a restricted free agent July 1.
His 16 goals and 44 points last season were each one short of his career
highs. Ferland, 26, played in 77 games last season and tallied 21 goals and 20
assists. He has 89 points in 250 career games.

--The Colorado Avalanche signed Philipp Grubauer to a three-year contract one
day after acquiring the goaltender from the Washington Capitals.

Grubauer appeared in 35 games (28 starts) in his sixth NHL season and went
15-10-3 with a 2.35 goals-against average. He is expected to challenge Semyon
Varlamov for the starting job.

Varlamov went 24-16-6 with a 2.68 GAA in 51 games (47 starts) last season
before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

--Ilya Kovalchuk is returning to the NHL after agreeing to a three-year deal
with the Los Angeles Kings.

Kovalchuk retired in June 2013 with 12 years and $77 million remaining on a
15-year deal he signed with the New Jersey Devils in 2010. Because he was
designated to the voluntary retirement list, Kovalchuk's rights belonged to
the Devils until he turned 35 on April 15.

After leaving the NHL, Kovalchuk went on to star in Russia's Kontinental
Hockey League for the last five seasons. Kovalchuk had 31 goals and 32 assists
in 53 games with St. Petersburg this season, leading the KHL in scoring.

--Field Level Media