Roundup: Canadiens sign Mara, Maple Leafs ink Swede

The Canadiens have signed free agent Paul Mara to a one-year contract, adding size and experience to their group of defensemen.

The 29-year-old Mara had five goals and 16 assists in 76 games with the New York Rangers last season. He has 63 career goals for the Rangers, Tampa Bay, Phoenix and Boston.

Montreal general manager Bob Gainey has remade virtually the entire core of his team when he signed forwards Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek to multiyear deals on July 1, one day after acquiring center Scott Gomez in a trade with the Rangers.

He did not re-sign any of the team's unrestricted free agents, including forwards Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev and Alex Tanguay and defensemen Mike Komisarek and Mathieu Schneider.

TORONTO (AP) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Swedish forward Rickard Wallin to a one-year contract.

Team president and general manager Brian Burke announced the deal on Friday.

The 29-year-old played 55 games last season for Farjestads in the Swedish Elite League, where he tied for the team lead in goals with 18, while adding 27 assists.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder was originally selected by Phoenix in the sixth round (160th overall) in the 1998 draft, but was traded to Minnesota in June 2000.

In 19 career NHL games from 2002 to 2004 with the Wild, he registered six goals and four assists.

Wallin won a bronze medal with Sweden at this year's world championships in Switzerland.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- The New Jersey Devils have acquired forward Tim Sestito from Edmonton in exchange for a 2010 conditional draft pick and signed free agent goaltender Yann Danis.

The team announced both deals on Friday without providing details.

The 24-year-old Sestito made his NHL debut with the Oilers last season, playing in one game and recording a shot on goal. He spent most of the season with Springfield of the AHL.

Danis spent last season with the New York Islanders organization and appeared in an NHL career-high 31 games, posting a 10-17-3 mark and leading the team with two shutouts. The 28-year-old had a .910 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average.

Previously, Danis had spent four-plus seasons with the Montreal Canadiens' organization.

DENVER (AP) -- The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Kyle Cumiskey and forward Justin Mercier to contracts.

The 22-year-old Cumiskey was Colorado's ninth selection (seventh round, 222nd overall) in the 2005 NHL draft. He skated in six games with the Avalanche last season before a season-ending shoulder injury Jan. 29.

Cumiskey played in 28 games for the Lake Erie Monsters, where he totaled 17 points. He has skated in 53 career NHL games, scoring seven points.

Mercier spent the last four seasons at Miami (Ohio) University, where he helped lead the RedHawks to the 2009 NCAA championship game with 29 points in 40 games as a senior. The 22-year-old Mercier was Colorado's eighth selection (sixth round, 168th overall) in the 2005 draft.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Jay McKee to a one-year contract.

The team announced the move Friday. McKee had one goal and seven assists and 44 penalty minutes for the St. Louis Blues in 69 games last season.

The 31-year-old 6-foot-4, 203-pound defenseman has played parts of 13 seasons in the NHL with the Blues and the Buffalo Sabres.

McKee has played 740 games in the NHL, with 20 goals, 95 assists and 568 penalty minutes.