The Mighty Ducks made seven-time All-Star forward Paul Kariya an unrestricted free agent, declining to tender a qualifying offer.
Kariya, who helped lead Anaheim to the Stanley Cup final, will be available to the highest bidder today. The team refused to pay $10-million to keep its captain but could re-sign him for less.
The decision was announced Monday just hours before the midnight deadline for qualifying offers.
Earlier, the Red Wings picked up Dominik Hasek's $8-million contract option, allowing him to return to the team but muddling their goaltending picture.
The Red Wings must decide what to do with Curtis Joseph, who has two years left on his $24-million, three-year deal and a no-trade clause. Hasek, the two-time MVP and a six-time recipient of the Vezina Trophy, retired after Detroit won the Stanley Cup in 2002.
Now 38, he said he missed the game and told Detroit last month of the possibility of returning.
Detroit also re-signed defensemen Darren McCarty and Jason Woolley.
Adam Oates joined the free-agent market while Eric Desjardins removed his name. Included among the unrestricted free agents are forwards Sergei Fedorov, Teemu Selanne, Ray Whitney, Joe Nieuwendyk and Daniel Cleary as well as defensemen Oleg Tverdovsky, Derian Hatcher, Greg De Vries and Glen Wesley.
Oates, a 40-year-old forward, became unrestricted when the Mighty Ducks declined to pick up his $3.5-million option.
Desjardins signed a two-year deal with an option to remain in Philadelphia. The defenseman will earn about $4-million a year. The Flyers also re-signed center Claude Lapointe.
Minnesota made qualifying offers to top scorer Marian Gaborik, defenseman Andrei Zyuzin and goaltender Manny Fernandez. But it allowed center Cliff Ronning to become an unrestricted free agent.
Nashville signed leading scorer Andreas Johansson. Terms were not disclosed. Phoenix re-signed defenseman Teppo Numminen to a one-year deal, and Edmonton re-signed defenseman Cory Cross to a three-year contract.
The Rangers traded the rights to free-agent Brian Leetch to the Oilers after being unable to sign the 33-year-old defenseman. The Oilers sent backup goaltender Jussi Markkanen and a fourth-round draft pick to New York.
KINGS: Defenseman Jaroslav Modry had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left shoulder. His rehabilitation is expected to last 12 weeks.
