The struggling Atlanta Thrashers reached a tentative agreement on a contract with free-agent goaltender Byron Dafoe on Tuesday.
The deal is for one year with a player option in 2003-04. It was expected to be completed Wednesday.
Atlanta general manager Don Waddell said he doesn’t view Dafoe, 31, as a short-term stopgap.
“We’re going to try to develop a long-term partnership,” Waddell said.
Dafoe had a career-high 35 wins last season in leading the Boston Bruins to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Trottier sidelined
Rangers coach Bryan Trottier, who served a two-game suspension on New York’s just-completed road trip, was out Tuesday night when the Rangers played the Anaheim Mighty Ducks because of back trouble that confined him to his home.
RESULTS, TUESDAY’S SYNOPSIS
Blackhawks 1 at Edmonton 3
Anaheim 2 at N.Y. Rangers 3
Pavel Bure’s goal 57 seconds into OT snapped a nine-game drought, and Eric Lindros added his first in 16 games.
San Jose 3 at Washington 2
Evgeni Nabokov made 46 saves and Teemu Selanne, Patrick Marleau and Owen Nolan scored for the Sharks.
Ottawa 4 at Carolina 4
Bates Battaglia and Ron Francis scored 53 seconds apart early in the third period for Carolina.
Philadelphia 3 at Tampa Bay 2
Simon Gagne had a goal and an assist as the Flyers improved to 8-1-2 against the Lightning.
Boston 0 at Toronto 2
Ed Belfour made 29 saves for his second shutout as a Maple Leaf, and Mikael Renberg and Paul Healey scored.
Buffalo 3 at New Jersey 4
Scott Niedermayer’s goal 1:23 into overtime extended the Sabres’ winless streak to 12 games.
Florida 3 at Atlanta 4
Shawn McEachern scored a power-play goal at 3:23 of overtime as Thrashers came from behind to win.
Los Angeles 2 at Minnesota 2
Sergei Zholtok had a goal and an assist fopr the Wild, unbeaten (3-0-4) in its last seven overtime games.
Detroit 5 at Calgary 0
Kirk Maltby had a goal and an assist and Curtis Joseph stopped 29 shots. Calgary has scored twice in its last six games.
