Thu Jul 3 18:23:20 2008

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Blueshirts bring in Naslund, Kalinin

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New York, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent forward Markus Naslund, the team announced on Thursday.

TSN of Canada is reporting the Swedish winger has signed a two-year contract worth $8 million.

Drafted 16th overall by Pittsburgh in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Naslund was shipped to the Vancouver Canucks on March 20, 1996 in exchange for Alek Stojanov in one of the most lopsided deals in league history.

Stojanov departed from the NHL following the 1996-97 campaign, while Naslund emerged into one of Vancouver's most prominent players in franchise history.

The former Canucks captain is a five-time All-Star and was the runner-up to fellow countryman Peter Forsberg of the Colorado Avalanche for the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2002-03 after finishing second in league scoring with 104 points, including 48 goals. However, Naslund did capture the Lester B. Pearson Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by his peers, for his performance that season.

Naslund, who turns 35 on July 30, has 371 goals and 452 assists in 1,035 career games with the Penguins and Canucks.

The Rangers also announced they signed free agent defenseman Dmitri Kalinin. TSN of Canada is reporting it is a one-year deal.

Kalinin, 27, registered one goal and eight points in 46 games with Buffalo last season.

Selected by Buffalo with the 18th overall pick in the 1998 draft, the Russian blueliner has 34 goals and 111 assists in 466 career games.