Nieuwendyk, Roberts Sign With Panthers

L.A. Times Archives

Aug. 2, 2005 12 AM PT

From Times Staff and Wire Reports

The Florida Panthers signed four-time All-Star center Joe Nieuwendyk and left wing Gary Roberts away from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, less than two hours into the free-agent signing period.

Both players were unrestricted free agents and the first to agree to contracts after the signing period began. Nieuwendyk and Roberts will each receive $4.5 million over the next two years from Florida, which hasn’t won a playoff game since 1997.

“These two players are consummate professionals and will basically teach our younger players,” Panther General Manager Mike Keenan said. “First of all, how to be a professional in many respects -- and how to win.”

Nieuwendyk had 22 goals and 28 assists in 64 games with the Maple Leafs in 2003-04, but he missed parts of the season because of back problems. Nieuwendyk signed a one-year, $3-million contract with Toronto last spring, before the season was wiped out by the lockout.

Nieuwendyk, 38, has won Stanley Cup titles with New Jersey, Calgary and Dallas and has 533 goals and 529 assists in his 18-year career.

Roberts, 39, had 20 goals and 28 assists with the Maple Leafs in 2003-04 and was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team that season.

“I don’t see any reason why they can’t do what Tampa Bay did up the road, going to the finals and winning,” Nieuwendyk said, referring to the Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup title. “I don’t think Gary and I are going there to be just part of a playoff team. We’re going there to try to put a lot of wins on the board.”

The Kings signed right wing Tom Kostopoulos to a two-year contract. Kostopoulos, 26, had 35 goals and 712 points in 64 games last season with the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate.

Boston acquired forward Brad Isbister from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for the Bruins’ fourth-round draft pick in the 2006 draft. Isbister has 93 goals and 90 assists in 409 games in seven seasons.

The Minnesota Wild signed Andrei Nazarov, a left wing who played his last two seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes. ... The St. Louis Blues signed right wing Aaron Downey, who had been with the Dallas Stars, to a one-year contract.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

NHL unrestricted free agents

List of Group 3 unrestricted free agents and teams they played for last. Group 3 are players age 31 or older with at least four seasons:

* ATLANTA -- Shawn McEachern.

* BOSTON -- Sergei Gonchar, Martin Lapointe.

* CALGARY -- Martin Gelinas, Andrei Trefilov.

* CAROLINA -- Glen Wesley.

* CHICAGO -- Steve Poapst.

* COLORADO -- Vincent Damphousse, Adam Foote, Peter Forsberg, Darby Hendrickson.

* COLUMBUS -- Arturs Irbe, Jaroslav Spacek.

* DALLAS -- Rob DiMaio, Mike Modano, Don Sweeney, Patrick Traverse, Sergei Zubov.

* DETROIT -- Curtis Joseph, Stacy Roest, Jason Woolley, Steve Yzerman.