Canes sign defenseman Alberts

The Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Andrew Alberts, who had a team-high 157 hits and blocked 133 shots for the Philadelphia Flyers last season. It's a two-year deal that will pay him $800,000 this season and $1.3 million in next year. “Andrew is a big, physical defenseman who should be just coming into his prime at the NHL level,” said Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford, in a press release. “He had a good year for the Flyers after suffering an injury the previous season, and should help solidify our blueline with his defensive presence.” Alberts, of Minneapolis, is 28 and is coming off a season in which he accumalted career highs in games played (79), goals (1), assists (12), points (13) and plus/minus (+6) after an Oct. 13 trade to the Flyers. Alberts is 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds. He played in all six of the Flyers' playoff games last season, earning an assist and totaling 10 penalty minutes against Pittsburgh. The Boston Bruins drafted him in sixth round...