RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The defending Stanley Cup
champion Carolina Hurricanes added some muscle, signing physical
left wing Brad Isbister on Wednesday to a one-year contract
worth $695,000.
In the offseason, Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford has
signed three free agent right wings - Jesse Boulerice, Trevor
Letowski and Shane Willis - but made no additions on the left
side before inking Isbister, who joins his fourth team in as
many seasons.
"Brad adds size and depth to our corps of forwards," Rutherford
said. "His NHL experience will be an asset to our organization
this season."
Isbister, 29, played in 58 games with the Boston Bruins last
season and recorded six goals, 17 assists and 46 penalty
minutes. The Bruins acquired Isbister last August from the
Edmonton Oilers.
The 6-4, 231-pound Isbister played parts of four seasons with
the New York Islanders before being traded to Edmonton during
the 2002-03 season.
A 1995 third-round pick, Isbister has 99 goals, 107 assists and
563 penalty minutes in 467 NHL games with Phoenix, the
Islanders, Edmonton and Boston. He scored a career-high 22
goals for the Islanders in 1999-2000.