Free Agency Tracker: Pens Sign Stars' Cooper; Fedotenko Re-Signs

The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Chris Conner of the Dallas Stars to a one-year contract, team general manager Ray Shero announced Sunday.

The 5-8, 180-pound forward set new career highs with 13 points and 10 assists, while adding three goals and 10 penalty minutes in 38 games this past season. He also recorded 16 goals and 28 points along with 10 penalty minutes in 30 games with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League.

Conner was an undrafted free agent prior to signing with the Dallas Stars in 2005.

On Friday, the Pens announced two free-agent signings, which include forward Ruslan Fedotanko.

The Penguins came to terms with forward Fedotenko, signing him to a one-year contract through the 2009-2010 season.

Fedotenko, 30, scored 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) and ranked second on the team with a plus-18 rating in 65 games with the Penguins this season. It marked the seventh time that he recorded 30-plus points in a single season. He appeared in 24 games for Pittsburgh during the post-season, recording seven goals and 14 points.

Fedotenko was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Philadelphia in 1999 and made his NHL debut Oct. 24, 2000 with the Flyers. He was signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent on July 3, 2008.

The Penguins also signed defenseman Nate Guenin to a one-year contract.

Guenin, 26, became the third Pittsburgh native to join the Penguins organization in the last three seasons, following Bill Thomas and Ryan Malone.

The Sewickley, Pennsylvania native appeared in one game with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2008-09 season while spending the majority of the year with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL), posting 14 assists along with 95 penalty minutes in 62 games with the Phantoms this past season.

The 6-2, 210-pound defenseman played 12 career games in the NHL with the Flyers since 2006, recording two assists and six penalty minutes while collecting a plus-2 rating. The gritty blueliner made his NHL debut in Philadelphia versus the New York Islanders January 18, 2007. In three seasons with the Phantoms, Guenin registered 43 points (seven goals, 36 assists) and 333 minutes in penalties while appearing in 207 career games in the AHL. Guenin collected one assist and a plus-2 rating in 12 career post-season contests with the Phantoms in 2007-08.

Prior to joining the Flyers organization, Guenin played four years with Ohio State University from 2002-2006. Guenin recorded 53 points (six goals, 47 assists) in 151 games and was a two-time recipient of Ohio State’s Ice Club Scholar Athlete Award given to the top student athlete on the team.

Guenin was selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

The Penguins likely signed Guenin to help fill the void lost when defenseman Rob Scuderi signed with the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Scuderi, 30, signed a four-year, $13.6 million contract with the team.

On Wednesday, the Pens picked up gritty forward Mike Rupp and lost defenseman Hal Gill and backup goalie Mathieu Garon with the opening of NHL free agency.

The Pens announced the signing of free-agent forward Mike Rupp to a $1.6 million, two-year contract.

Rupp, 29, essentially plays the same role as forward Eric Godard, who was deactivated for all of the Stanley Cup champions' playoff games. The 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pound Rupp will make $825,000 each season. He had three goals, six assists and 136 penalty minutes in 72 games for New Jersey last season.

The Penguins lost one of their two top-line defensemen when Hal Gill signed a two-year contract with Montreal. Pittsburgh showed no interest in signing the 34-year-old Gill beyond one season.

Rupp scored the winning goal during the Devils' 3-0 victory over Anaheim in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup finals. He has 27 goals, 26 assists and 412 penalty minutes in 335 games with New Jersey, Phoenix and Columbus.

Backup goaltender Mathieu Garon signed a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Penguins also signed former Boston University defenseman Brian Strait to a three-year, entry-level contract. Strait was a third-round draft pick in 2006.

The Pens had already re-signed Bill Guerin and Craig Adams, but there are a handful more that might not ink a deal with the team they won the Stanley Cup with.

Forwards Petr Sykora and Miroslav Satan, and defensemen Rob Philippe Boucher were still free agents on Friday.

The 38-year-old Guerin would have become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, too. However, he signed for $2 million, accepting a big pay cut to stay with a championship team after making $4.5 million last season with the Islanders and Penguins.

Pittsburgh also signed Adams, a fourth-line forward, to a $1.1 million, two-year contract. Adams made $600,000 last season. He will make $550,000 during each season of his new deal.