Daily Dose: Teemu Returns; Karlsson, Harding, Helm Re-sign with Teams

        Today was a busy day in the NHL. The league was buzzing with rumors, player re-signings, and anticipation of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and free agency. Red Wings forward Darren Helm re-signed with Detroit, signing a four year, $8,500,000 contract. This is a great move by Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, as Helm is a key depth player for the Red Wings. He is a fast, physical player who is not afraid to do the dirty work in order for his team to succeed. Helm was a member of the 2008 Stanley Cup champion and 2009 runner-up Red Wing teams, so he has a lot of playoff experience at the young age of 25. Look for Helm to be an important player for the Red Wings for the next four years, as he continues to evolve as a hockey player.
        Later on in the day, goaltender Josh Harding re-signed with the Minnesota Wild for three years, making $5,700,000 over that period. Harding, who currently serves as the backup goaltender to Niklas Backstrom, is now an important part of the future of the Minnesota Wild. He has been the backup for several years, but he has clearly grown into a goaltender that can handle a starting job. I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see Harding gradually play more games for the Wild as time goes on, as they want him to eventually take over the starting job. With this new contract that Harding has, that process can start to begin.
        Perhaps the biggest re-signing of the day was Erik Karlsson re-signing with the Ottawa Senators on a seven year, $45,500,000 contract. Fans in Ottawa are breathing a sigh of relief, as they now know Karlsson will be a Senator for a long time. Karlsson had a sensational breakout season, leading defensemen in scoring by a mile, and is a nominee for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the best defenseman during the regular season. Karlsson is young, so we know he is only going to get better. Whether he wins the Norris Trophy this year or not, he is going to win that award many times in his career. Now fans in Ottawa have the pleasure of watching him do that in a Senators jersey. 
        While Senators fans are celebrating Karlsson's re-signing, hockey fans everywhere are celebrating the news that Teemu Selanne will return with the Anaheim Ducks next season. Nothing was officially announced yet, but several reports are confirming this. The "Finnish Flash" is one of the all-time greats, and I, along with the rest of the hockey world, am looking forward to having the privilege of seeing him play for at least one more year.