BOSTON – The Boston Bruins have signed left wing P.J. Axelsson to a two-year contract, the team announced Monday.

Axelsson, 28, has 57 goals and 96 assists in six NHL seasons. Last season was his most productive, with 17 goals and 19 assists – both career highs – despite missing 16 games.

“(Axelsson) has been a very valuable asset to the team over the past few seasons,” general manager Mike O’Connell said. “He is a versatile, tenacious forward who is excellent defensively, while his offensive contributions have steadily increased as well.”

Axelsson, drafted by the Bruins in 1995, played four seasons for Frolunda Goteborg of the Swedish Elite League before coming to Boston for the 1997-98 season.

He has scored 4 goals and 2 assists in 29 NHL playoff games.

A native of Kungalv, Sweden, Axelsson played for the Swedish national team in the 2000, 2001 and 2002 World Championships, wining a bronze medal in 2002, and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He has scored seven goals and 12 assists in those tournaments.

Terms of the contact were not disclosed.

Stars sign Bruins’ defenseman Sweeney

DALLAS – Longtime Boston Bruins defenseman Don Sweeney signed a one-year deal Monday with the Dallas Stars, who were in need of a defenseman after losing captain Derian Hatcher to free agency.

Sweeney has played his entire 15-year NHL career with the Bruins, breaking in during the 1988-89 season. He played in 1,052 career games – third most in team history behind Raymond Bourque and John Bucyk – totaling 52 goals and 210 assists. He’s also played more than 100 postseason games.

Last season, Sweeney had 3 goals and 5 assists in 67 games. He became a free agent when the Bruins did not to offer him a contract for next season.

Sweeney will “bring stability and depth to our defensive unit,” Stars general manager Doug Armstrong said. “He strengthens our hockey club and will provide a veteran presence in our locker room.”

The 36-year-old Sweeney replaces Hatcher in the rotation. Hatcher signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Sweeney, a native of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and a Harvard graduate, was the Bruins’ eighth pick, 166th overall, in the 1984 NHL draft. For years, he formed the nucleus of the Bruins defense with Bourque. Known more for defense and checking than scoring, Sweeney posted a career high 34 points on seven goals and 27 assists in 1992-93.

He has 9 goals and 8 assists in 92 career playoff games.

Washington deals Farrell

to Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Predators on Monday acquired forward Mike Farrell from the Washington Capitals for defenseman Alexander Riazantsev.

Farrell appeared in four games with Washington last season. He had 12 goals and 12 assists with 107 penalty minutes in 68 games last year with Portland of the AHL.

Riazantsev appeared in 71 games last season for Hershey and Milwaukee of the AHL, with eight goals and 14 assists. He was acquired in March from Colorado for a seventh-round draft choice in this year’s draft.

Also Monday, the Predators signed unrestricted free agent forward Ben Simon.

Simon had one assist in 10 games with Atlanta last season, and 32 points in 69 games for Chicago of the AHL. Simon was a fifth-round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1997.

Rangers sign Avs’

defenseman de Vries

NEW YORK – Greg de Vries gave up the comfort of playing defense for the Colorado Avalanche to become part of the rebuilding process with the New York Rangers.

On Monday, the 30-year-old free agent signed a four-year deal reportedly worth $13 million. He leaves behind such high-profile mentors as Rob Blake and Adam Foote.

“I really enjoyed my time in Colorado,” de Vries said. “Maybe I thought it would be time to get out on my own and try to take a little more pressure on myself.”