Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche re-signed star defenseman Derek Morris and four other players Thursday.

Joining Morris in signing one-year deals were defenseman D.J. Smith and forward Serge Aubin. Goaltender Phil Sauve signed a two-year deal while prospect Mikko Viitanen signed a three-year deal.

Morris, 24, established career-highs in goals (11), assists (36) and points (47) last season while finishing tied for seventh in scoring among NHL defenseman.

Smith, 26, appeared in a career-high 34 games for the Avalanche and had one goal and 55 penalty minutes.

Aubin, 28, had four goals, six assists and 64 penalty minutes in 66 games for the Avs.

Sauve, 23, played in the AHL last season but could be with the Avs this year following Patrick Roy's retirement.

Minnesota Wild: The Wild acquired left wing Chris Bala from the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in a three-team trade that also included the Nashville Predators.

The Wild sent defenseman Curtis Murphy to Nashville. The Predators traded defenseman Peter Smrek to Ottawa.

Bala, 24, had 24 points (6 goals, 18 assists) in 51 games with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League in 2002-2003. He had seven points (2, 5) in 14 playoff games.

Bala appeared in six NHL games with Ottawa in 2001-2002, recording one assist.

Murphy, who signed with the Wild as a free agent in June 2001, scored 23 goals and had 31 assists for the Calder Cup champion Houston Aeros last season.

Smrek had three goals and 20 assists for Milwaukee of the AHL. He's played in 28 NHL games with St. Louis and the New York Rangers, recording two goals and four assists.

Washington Capitals: The Capitals picked up the option year on the contracts of right wing Peter Bondra and center Jeff Halpern on Thursday.

Bondra, the club's all-time leading scorer, will enter the third year of a four-year, $18 million contract. The team had options on the third and fourth years.

Bondra has spent his entire 13-year NHL career with Washington.

Halpern, the first Washington-area native to play for the Capitals, had 13 goals, 21 assists and played in all 82 games last season. He made $1 million each of the last two seasons, and his option year is worth $1.45 million.

Detroit Red Wings: Detroit signed Pavel Datsyuk to a one-year contract with an option for another season Thursday.

Datsyuk had 12 goals and 39 assists last season in 64 games. Datsyuk was a restricted free agent and Russian teams -- including his former team Ak Bars Kazan -- had inquired about Datsyuk returning home to play in the Russian Elite League.

"We're all very happy to have Pavel back,'' general manager Ken Holland said in a statement. "He is a part of a group of young and talented players who are important to the balance and makeup of our team.''

Dallas Stars: The team exercised a one-year option on right wing Aaron Downey on Thursday, and made qualifying offers to six players.

Downey had one goal, one assist and 69 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Stars last season. The 28-year-old Downey was signed as a free agent last July. He had one goal and 76 penalty minutes in 36 games with Chicago in 2001-02.

The Stars made qualifying offers to defensemen John Erskine, Stephane Robidas, and Richard Matvichuk, center Niko Kapanen, right wing David Oliver and goaltender Marty Turco.