Free Agents

After Daniel Winnik was cast off by the San Jose Sharks, the Ducks signed the center to a two-year, $3.6-million contract, primarily to assist in their penalty-killing efforts. Winnik, the Ducks' third-line center, scored a club-record four goals in the first two games of the season, which is more than the Stanley Cup-champion Kings scored in their two games. "What's Gretzky's record again?" Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau cracked after practice Thursday with the team finalizing preparations for Friday's home opener against the Vancouver Canucks.

CHICAGO - At least one person is excited about his future with the Lakers. Metta World Peace could become a free agent in July by declining a player option for $7.7 million next season. He doesn't plan on it. "I want to stay here the rest of my career," he said, and "get past this adversity. I want to finish as a Laker. " The adversity would be the team's 17-24 record after a 95-83 loss Monday against Chicago. It makes sense that World Peace, 33, wants to stay. He's almost surely not going to get more than that as a free agent next season.

The Lakers have five more weeks to make a trade. Pau Gasol is staying ... for now. The Lakers are reluctant to deal him because of the unthinkable - Dwight Howard leaving several months later as a free agent. They don't want to go from two quality 7-footers to none. "They're in a bind," said a person familiar with the situation. The trade deadline is Feb. 21. Howard becomes a free agent July 1. Howard, 27, has kept to himself what he plans to do after this season.

At the Ducks' first organized team practice Sunday at Honda Center, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were positioned together again on the first line. The question connected to the 27-year-old stars is whether it's one more season and done, or if the relationships have staying power. Ducks General Manager Bob Murray told reporters the day after NHL players officially ratified their new labor deal that he's planning to meet soon with the respective agents for Perry (the Newport Sports Group)

The NHL on Thursday canceled two more weeks' worth of games and pushed its dispute with the NHL Players' Assn. near the point of no return. The league wiped out games through Jan. 14 for a total of 625 canceled games, or 50.8% of the schedule. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said via email Thursday that there had been no recent contact between the two sides and that no new negotiations were planned. The NHL's latest announcement - made, like those that preceded it, in a terse statement - for all intents creates a short-term deadline for preserving even a severely shortened season.

Poor Ned Colletti. Seems he's not too sexy for his shirt or cowboy boots. What has it come to for general managers these days, when they're not only critiqued on that last free agent signing but also on if they turn heads when they enter a room? Alas, inspired by shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima's recent comment that A's General Manager Billy Beane was “extremely sexy,” Yahoo Sports' David Brown felt inspired enough to rank all 30 GMs on their sex appeal. It's the slow season in baseball.

Who would have thought the baseball off-season would be so interesting? The Dodgers spent a lot of money and added the top pitching free agent Zack Greinke, getting him from the Angels. And then on Thursday the Angels added Josh Hamilton, the top hitting free agent. What's left are a lot of questions and speculation about what might happen. Here's an attempt at some answers. Does the increased payroll mean increased ticket prices for both teams? Probably not. The Dodgers released their season-ticket prices in October and they weren't significantly different than they were a year ago. Here's something to remember: Ticket prices are largely based on supply and demand.

More than a week before deciding where he would pitch next season, Zack Greinke visited Dodger Stadium. In his three decades as a baseball executive, General Manager Ned Colletti had been in countless meetings with prospective players. But this one was unique. Greinke was there without his agent. "I can't remember one that didn't bring an agent or friends with them or representatives with them," Colletti said. "To have somebody with enough confidence in themselves to stand on their own, it was impressive.

Zack Greinke can become a free agent halfway through his six-year, $147-million contract with the Dodgers, according to people familiar with his deal who were unauthorized to talk about it. Greinke passed a physical examination Monday to finalize the contract, which is the largest a right-handed pitcher has ever received. The Dodgers wouldn't grant Greinke a no-trade clause, following a precedent they set in negotiations with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. But if Greinke is traded at any time, there is a provision in his deal that would allow him to elect free agency at the end of that season.

With Zack Greinke set to draw an average salary of $24.5 million over the next six years, some baseball executives and agents are wondering whether Clayton Kershaw could become the first pitcher to earn $30 million a year. At 24, Kershaw is five years younger than Greinke. He's also considered a better pitcher. "He's a true No. 1," said one agent, who doesn't represent Kershaw. Kershaw is heading into the second year of a two-year, $19-million contract. He can't become a free agent until after the 2014 season.