Around the League: 10/17/10

• Andreas Lilja signed with the Ducks over the holiday weekend.  One year, one-way, $600,000.  Which is good because the Ducks really needed another sub-par defenseman to jack up that shots-against total. (Anaheim Ducks)
• Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec lost consciousness and collapsed two and a half minutes into Atlanta's season/home opener against the Washington Capitals.  Tests indicate that he had a fainting spell and suffered a concussion from his fall.  We hope he's okay. (Atlanta Thrashers)
• The Bruins signed their captain Zdeno Chara to a 7-year contract extension.  I think 7 years is quite a lot for a 33-year-old player. (Boston Bruins)
• Pavel Datsyuk fought Anaheim's Corey Perry in Detroit on October 8th.  Has Datsyuk ever given up the Lady Byng one game into the season before? (Detroit Red Wings)
• Martin Brodeur has started the first six games of the season, including two sets of back-to-back games.  Apparently the Devils paid about $1 million more than usual for a goalie to play the typical 5 Marty-less games. (New Jersey Devils)
• James Wisniewski made quite an inappropriate gesture to Sean Avery on Columbus Day's Rangers-at-Islanders game.  Wisniewski is now my favorite Islander ever.  Not like he ever had much competition, but still. (New York Islanders)
• The Philadelphia Flyers were given a very strong performance from rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in his first couple of starts.  Which means Bobrovsky will suffer a career-ending injury any time now. (Philadelphia Flyers)
• Flyers captain Mike Richards has offered to fight Matt Cooke if Sidney Crosby fights Dan Carcillo.  I don't know about you, but I want tickets to that game. (Philadelphia Flyers)
• Matthew Hulsizer and the City of Glendale have reached an agreement on a lease deal for the Coyotes.  And he's not planning on moving them out of the desert.  So they'll be up for sale again in a couple of years. (Phoenix Coyotes)
• This really has nothing to do with actual hockey news but as of October 10th, Sidney Crosby was leading my fantasy team in hits.  Clearly, the Mayans were off by two years. (Pittsburgh Penguins)
• Kris Letang was given a game misconduct for one of the most beautiful yet perfectly legal hits in hockey history.  In a few years, any time someone falls the guy standing closest to him will be suspended.  And I guarantee that will be a problem because the game is called ice hockey and ice tends to be pretty slippery. (Pittsburgh Penguins)
• The Sharks signed captain Joe Thornton to a three-year contract extension worth $21 million.  (San Jose Sharks)
• The Florida Panthers blew out the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-0 on Saturday, October 16th.  Dan Ellis was pulled and his GAA for the game was a whopping 11.83.  Keep worrying about the escrow, buddy; that's the last time I ever draft you in a fantasy league. (Tampa Bay Lightning)
• The Maple Leafs have started off the seaon 4-0.  That's right.  Toronto.  And Clarke MacArthur is tied  for the league lead in goals with 5.  I know.  I just fainted, too. (Toronto Maple Leafs)