Around the NHL \ News and notes

Kings: Los Angeles has a four-year deal in place with free agent defenseman Rob Scuderi, who is leaving the Stanley Cup champion Penguins. The contract was agreed to Thursday, the second day of NHL free agency. Scuderi was part of Pittsburgh’s top shutdown defensive pairing along with Hal Gill, who left the Penguins on Wednesday and signed with the Canadiens. Scuderi led the Penguins with a plus-23 rating and had a career-high 16 points in 81 regular-season games. He also had a team-high 164 blocked shots. In the playoffs, Scuderi added a goal and four assists in 24 games while logging 201‚Ñ2 minutes of ice time. He assisted on Max Talbot’s Cup-winning goal in Game 7 of the finals against Detroit.

Blue Jackets: Forward Rick Nash and goaltender Steve Mason are among 46 players invited to attend the Team Canada orientation camp August 24-27 in Calgary, to try out for the squad that will play in the 2010 Olympics. Nash was a member of the 2006 Canadian Olympic Team. He has 194 goals and 161 assists in 441 career games, all with the Blue Jackets. He had a career-high 79 points (40 goals and 39 assists) in 78 games in 2008-09. He is a native of Brampton, Ontario. Mason, from Oakville, Ontario, had a 33-20-7 record and a league-leading 10 shutouts in 61 Blue Jackets games last season and earned the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock is an associate coach for Team Canada.

Thursday’s moves: The Hurricanes are keeping forward Chad LaRose with a two-year deal that will pay him $1.5 million in the upcoming season and $1.9 million in 2010-11. … The Panthers signed defenseman Jordan Leopold to a one-year deal and defenseman Clay Wilson to a two-year contract. … The Stars signed free agent defenseman Karlis Skrastins to a two-year deal worth $2.75 million. … Mark Recchi agreed to stay with the Bruins, agreeing to a one-year deal. … Defenseman Adrian Aucoin signed a one-year contract with the Coyotes. … Mikhail Grabovski signed an $8.7 million, three-year deal with the Maple Leafs. … The Thrashers signed free agent forward Nik Antropov to a multiyear deal. … The Islanders signed goaltender Scott Munroe, left wing Jeremy Reich and defenseman Brett Westgarth to one-year contracts.

Associated Press