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New York Islanders: The team signed forward Jeremy Colliton, its second-round pick in the 2003 draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The 20-year-old Colliton had 16 goals and 30 assists in 41 games last season with Prince Albert of the Western Hockey League. He missed part of the season because of a knee injury that has healed.

"The Islanders have been very good to me since drafting me two years ago," Colliton said. "I'm excited about getting my pro career started and developing within the organization."

Colliton is one of New York's top prospects and is considered to be a strong player at both ends of the ice. He is expected to be with the Islanders when training camp opens in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, on Sept. 12.

"The thing we love about Jeremy is that he brings no question marks," Islanders general manager Mike Milbury said. "He has skills, smarts ... and you can't find a coach or scout who has anything but praise for his attitude and work ethic.

"I'm not going to peg him as a certain level player or tell you when he'll get to the NHL level, but I will tell you he's a prospect we're very proud to have in the organization. He's going to make his mark, no doubt about that," Milbury said.

Los Angeles Kings: The team exercised its option on defenseman Mike Weaver and agreed to terms Thursday on a three-year, entry-level contract with goaltender Ryan Munce.

Weaver played in 79 games last season with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs and set a league career high in points with 23 (one goal, 22 assists).

Originally signed by the Kings last July, Weaver has played in 57 career NHL games, all with the Thrashers, and has six assists and 20 penalty minutes.

Munce played in 55 games last season for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, where he had a 12-32-6 record.

He was originally selected by the Kings in the third round of the 2003 NHL entry draft.

Vancouver Canucks: The team exercised contract options on defenseman Wade Brookbank, forward Lee Goren and goaltender Wade Flaherty.

Vancouver also signed 2003 draft picks Marc-Andre Bernier, Francois-Pierre Guenette and Nathan McIver ahead of the Thursday deadline.

Bernier, drafted 60th overall in the second round, and Guenette, chosen in the seventh round, both played forward for Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2004-05. McIver, a defenseman selected in the eight round, played for Toronto of the Ontario Hockey League.

San Jose Sharks: The team agreed to contracts with three of its 2003 draft picks, including a three-year deal with first-round pick Steve Bernier.

The Sharks also agreed to deals with their second-round selection, center Josh Hennessy, and their fifth-round pick, goaltender Patrick Ehelechner.

Bernier, the 16th pick in 2003, had 35 goals and 36 assists in 68 games as a forward last season for Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"He is ready for the next step and we are prepared to give him the tools to be successful," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. "He has solid skills on the offensive side of the game and has worked hard and improved in other areas."

Hennessy had 35 goals and 50 assists last season for Quebec in the QMJHL.

Ehelechner went 23-21-4 last season for Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League.

Columbus Blue Jackets: The team made its first moves since the lockout ended, signing defenseman Duvie Westcott and right winger Joe Motzko to two-year contracts.

Westcott and Motzko were college teammates at St. Cloud State in Minnesota.

Westcott, 27, has appeared in 77 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets, registering 14 assists and 118 penalty minutes. He spent the 2004-05 season playing in Finland.

Motzko, 25, has spent most of the past two seasons with Columbus' top affiliate, Syracuse of the American Hockey League. He scored 45 goals and had 62 assists in 149 games.

Minnesota Wild: The team signed center Patrick O'Sullivan to a three-year rookie contract, retaining the rights to its second-round draft pick from two years ago.

O'Sullivan, selected 56th overall in 2003, has scored at least 30 goals in each of his four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. The 20-year-old O'Sullivan was fifth in the OHL in scoring last season with 90 points in 57 games for the Mississauga IceDogs.

NHL teams faced a Thursday afternoon deadline for signing players they drafted in 2003. Otherwise, players could have re-entered the draft and been picked by any club on Saturday.

Wild president and general manager Doug Risebrough said the negotiations went smoothly, since both sides realized this was a good fit. O'Sullivan will be invited to training camp, which begins in September.

Buffalo Sabres: Center Clarke MacArthur, Buffalo's third-round pick in the 2003 draft, signed a three-year, entry-level contract.

A play-making forward, MacArthur spent the past three seasons with Medicine Hat of the Canadian junior Western Hockey League. He's a two-time 30-goal scorer and finished with 30 goals, 44 assists and 74 points in 58 games last season. He also represented Canada in last winter's World Junior Championship.

MacArthur had an assist in three playoff games last spring with AHL Rochester Americans, the Sabres' minor-league affiliate.

Nashville Predators: The team signed veteran enter Greg Johnson, its all-time leader in games played.

Johnson has played 434 games and posted 82 goals and 219 points for the franchise since arriving in the 1998 expansion draft.

He started with Detroit in 1993-94 and later played for Pittsburgh and Chicago. Johnson has played in 717 career games and scored 134 goals (350 points).

In 2004, he was captain in the Predators' first NHL playoff appearance.

Florida Panthers: The team bought out the contract of defenseman Mathieu Biron, its team's first casualty of the league's new collective bargaining agreement.

Under terms of the new CBA, teams have until Sunday to make offers to retain exclusive negotiating rights with players -- like Biron -- who were on their rosters before the lockout and are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on Aug. 1.

The 25-year-old Biron had four goals, 18 assists and 65 penalty minutes in 91 career games with the Panthers.

Also Thursday, the Panthers signed center Stefan Meyer and defenseman Martin Lojek to entry-level contracts.

The Panthers were unable to reach a deal with center Dany Roussin, Florida's seventh-round choice in the 2003 draft. Roussin is eligible to enter this weekend's draft.

Chicago Blackhawks: The team has signed top pick Brent Seabrook and three other players.

Financial terms of the signings of the players selected in 2003 were not disclosed.

Seabrook, a 20-year-old defenseman, played five seasons for Lethbridge of the Western Hockey League, where he had 39 goals and 137 assists in 264 games.

Center Colin Fraser, 20, was originally drafted by Philadelphia in the third round but was acquired by the Blackhawks in a deal in 2004 that sent Alex Zhamnov to the Flyers.

Corey Crawford, a 20-year-old goalie, was the Blackhawks' second-round pick in 2003. He played four seasons for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and posted a record of 96-68-18 with a 2.80 goals-against average.

Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien was Chicago's eighth-round pick. The 20-year-old played four seasons with two different teams in the WHL, getting 48 goals and 94 assists.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press