Welcome back to Around the League — the column here at CanucksArmy in which we examine news from around the National Hockey League, oftentimes through a Canucks-tinted lens.
Despite the Stanley Cup finals having wrapped up a few days ago, the NHL continues to move forward quickly as there’s been plenty of noteworthy stories. From player extensions to management moves, teams are already adding and subtracting in hopes of gaining an edge.
While the Canucks have been relatively quiet, other teams around the league have been making headlines with these acquisitions. Let’s take a look at the top stories from around the NHL over the past few days.

Jesper Bratt signs extension with the New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils announced that they have re-signed winger Jesper Bratt to an eight-year, $63 million extension. The total dollar value of the contract matches Bratt’s jersey number as he wears 63 for the Devils. The contract carries an AAV of $7.875 million.
Bratt has been one of the league’s rising stars over the past couple of years and is an important part of the Devils’ exciting young core. Bratt was a restricted free agent this summer after scoring 32 goals and adding 41 assists for 73 points last season. At just 24 years old, he still has plenty of good hockey left ahead of him.
Bratt now has put up back-to-back seasons with 73 points, firmly establishing himself as a legitimate top-line winger. He should be worth more than the $7.875 million AAV over the course of this contract and much of the public reaction was very positive.

Calgary Flames add Jarome Iginla to management staff

The Calgary Flames announced that they’ve hired franchise legend Jarome Iginla as a special advisor to the general manager. Iginla will join the Flames’ front office which is experiencing plenty of changes after the departure of former general manager Brad Treliving to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Iginla is one of the best wingers in NHL history and played more than 15 seasons for the Flames before bouncing around the league near the end of his career. Over 1,554 NHL games, Iginla managed to score 625 goals and add 675 assists for a total of 1,300 career points.
New Flames general manager Craig Conroy and Iginla have a relationship that goes back to the two playing together in Calgary.
“Our relationship goes back 20 years and includes being opponents and teammates combined with a long-standing friendship,” Conroy said in a press release. “While our views on the game are similar, we often challenged each other on systems and playing style, always pushing each other to be better. I look forward to our team benefiting from his fierce competitiveness, career experiences and love of hockey.”

Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche make a trade

The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche announced that they had made a small trade today. The Stars sent forward Fredrik Olofsson to the Avalanche in exchange for future considerations. Olofsson and the Avalanche then announced that the forward had signed a one-year contract for next season.
Olofsson is 27 years old and just made the transition to professional hockey in North America last season. He played in both the AHL and NHL, finishing with one goal and three assists in 28 NHL games.