HandleZ360

The NHL wants to postpone an auction for the Phoenix Coyotes until Sept. 10 to give two potential bidders more time to finalize their offers. U.S. bankruptcy court Judge Redfield T. Baum was scheduled to hold an auction Aug. 5 for bidders interested in keeping the club in Phoenix. If that auction failed to produce a decent offer, a second one would be held Sept. 10 for bidders who want to move the club.

The NHL is investigating the contract between the Blackhawks and free agent Marian Hossa, according to a published report. The Ottawa Sun reported Thursday night that the league is trying to determine if the 12-year, $62.8 million deal Hossa signed July 1 circumvents the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap. Hossa’s contract results in a $5.23 million cap hit each year over the length of the deal, but much of the money is to be paid up front, with $7.9 million annually for the first seven years and tapering down to $750,000 the final two years.

The Kings re-signed restricted free-agent defenseman Jack Johnson to a two-year contract Friday with an annual cap hit of $1.425 million, a deal that gives Johnson time to “prove what level player he can get to,” according to Assistant General Manager Ron Hextall. Johnson, 22, played only 41 games last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He has offensive skills but has had trouble in his own zone, and his return had rocky moments.

Knicks team president Donnie Walsh predicted negotiations with David Lee will come to a head early next week, and indications were Lee will either sign an offer sheet with the Trail Blazers or settle for the Knicks’ five-year offer, which agent Mark Bartelstein still believes is below Lee’s market value. If Portland doesn’t come through and Lee still doesn’t accept the Knicks’ proposal, Walsh could pull the offer off the table next week.

A federal judge dismissed a civil insider-trading lawsuit against Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission could not hold Cuban liable for insider trading because the agency didn’t allege the billionaire NBA team owner had agreed not to trade based on confidential information he received about an Internet search engine company, Mamma.com Inc. . . .