RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have signed general manager Ron Francis to a contract extension through the 2018-19 season, the team announced Tuesday.Financial terms were not disclosed.I appreciate the fact that (owner Peter Karmanos Jr.) is willing to give me the extension, Francis said. Were going in the right direction, so its exciting to help continue that.Francis, 53, is a Hall of Fame player beginning his 11th season in a management role with the Hurricanes and his third since taking over for Jim Rutherford as general manager. Hes led the youth movement that helped the Hurricanes improve 15 points in the standings last season, trading captain and franchise face Eric Staal while reshaping the team around a core of younger players.Ron has rebuilt our organization the right way, stocking our team and system with young players who will help this franchise compete for the Stanley Cup year in and year out, Karmanos said. Im thrilled that he will continue to see the job through. The future is very bright for the Hurricanes in Carolina.With the move, the Hurricanes have locked up two key management figures this summer. In July, they signed coach Bill Peters to an extension, also through 2018-19.Francis said after he finished Peters extension, Karmanos approached him and said now I want to take care of you.He sat down and said, This is what Id like to do, Francis said. And I said, OK, Pete, thats fair. It was just a matter of getting things signed.Francis also said forward Raffi Torres will try out for the team when camp begins in September.Torres hasnt played a regular-season game in the NHL since 2013-14, and last October was suspended for 41 games -- the longest suspension in NHL history for a hit on another player -- and fined $440,000 for his illegal check on Anaheims Jakob Silfverberg during a preseason game.You all know the way I played the game -- I dont condone those kinds of hits, and I think they were dealt with the right way, Francis said. Hes served his time, hes forfeited his money and hopefully hes in a different place. ... Its not a contract. Its a tryout. He has to earn a contract. He has to earn a spot in our lineup. Nike Pegasus 35 Italia . PAUL, Minn. Nike Epic React Flyknit Italia . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. http://www.outletairmaxitalia.it/scapre-air-max-720-outlet.html . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Air Max 90 Saldi . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Air Max Outlet Italia . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. The New Jersey Devils were left with a need for a scoring winger when Ilya Kovalchuk suddenly retired from the NHL and dipped into the free agent market for the most accomplished scoring winger available. Numbers Game breaks down the Devils deal with Jaromir Jagr. The Devils Get: RW Jaromir Jagr. Jagr, 41, has been a productive offensive player since returning to the NHL at the start of the 2011-2012 season, scoring 89 points in 118 games. His puck possession numbers have been strong too, ranking 41st among forwards that played at least 1500 five-on-five minutes over the last two seasons. Hes slower, as one might expect from a 41-year-old winger, but hes still a 240-pound winger who can protect the puck and control play in the offensive zone. Criticism of Jagr, at this point, is most likely going to centre around his failure to score a single goal in 22 playoff games for the Boston Bruins, setting a single-season playoff record for the most recorded shots on goal (58) without scoring. He created chances, had 10 assists and was among the Bruins possession leaders in the postseason, but that zero in the goal column is an ugly number for a player who leads all active players with 681 career regular season goals, to go along with 78 career playoff tallies. While Jagr is a far cry from the dominant offensive performer that he was from 1991 through 2007, when he scored 1471 points in 1111 games (his 1.32 points per game the best in hockey over that span), he remains an effective scoring forward and has an opportunity to play a significant role with the Devils. When Ilya Kovalchuk abruptly retired from the NHL earlier this month, that left the Devils with a big opening for a scoring winger and while Jagr isnt capable of playing 24 minutes a night, like Kovalchuk has for the past couple seasons, Jagr can play 18 minutes a night on one of the top two lines as well as the power play. For whattever it may be worth -- maybe nothing, maybe slightly better chemistry -- the Devils power play will include a couple of Jagrs Czech countrymen, Patrik Elias and Marek Zidlicky.dddddddddddd With Jagr in the fold, the Devils have a decent group of top six forwards, including Elias and free agent additions Ryane Clowe and Michael Ryder on the wings, with Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique occupying the top two centre spots, though Andrei Loktionov could warrant a look in a scoring role too. Once the Bruins had traded for Loui Eriksson and signed Jarome Iginla as a free agent, there wasnt a fit for Jagr on Bostons top two lines, so he moves on, to his fourth team since returning to the NHL in 2011. Whats more, if the Devils cant rebound from a disappointing 2013 campaign and get back into the playoff picture, then Jagr could be on the move again around the trade deadline, where he would at least bring a draft pick in return, which is significant to New Jersey since they are required to forfeit their first-round selection as a penalty for the initial contract they signed with Kovalchuk. Thats a fall-back position, because the Devils would rather have Jagr play a role in getting them back to the postseason, but that asset management cant be ignored as a factor in getting Jagr inked to a one-year deal. With Kovalchuk gone and the free agent frenzy having died down, the Devils made the best of their situation. We dont have the salary numbers on Jagr yet but, because its a one-year deal, the investment shouldnt be problematic and gives them a reasonable replacement for Kovalchuk who may be 11 years older but, because of that, doesnt require anywhere near the same kind of financial commitment. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '
