Dubielewicz, Zhitnik, Chelios, Stuart, and Flames

New York Islanders pending unrestricted free agent forward Wade Dubielewicz tells Newsday’s Greg Logan he hopes to re-sign a contract extension with the club as soon as the season expires.

“I’m an Islander at heart,” Dubielewicz said. “If I was given the opportunity to continue to be an Islander, I think I’d probably jump on it.”

“I think my value goes up over time. They can see I’m consistent and that my size isn’t a big factor. If I went to another team, I’d probably have to spend a lot of time knocking down those hurdles again.”

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Defenseman Alexei Zhitnik tells Craig Custance of The Atlanta Journal Constitution he has not received word from the Atlanta Thrashers about his future with the club.

After being told to stay home for a recent three-game road trip, the veteran blueliner says he is unsure how he fits into the Thrashers’ long-term plans.

“I have no idea,” he said.

Zhitnik, who’s set to earn $3.5 million next season, says he hopes his situation will get resolved quickly after the season’s end.

“I hope everything will be finalized in May and June.”

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Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press suggest that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios will return for at least one more season with the club.

And that would be just fine with the Red Wings.

“I’ve talked to Chris and told him, he’s been around here long enough to know I’m not into a youth movement,” general manager Ken Holland said Friday. “I’m into putting the best product on the ice. Let’s see a strong finish to the year, and there’s a good probability he’ll be back.”

Holland says that the 46-year-old veteran blueliner is a great mentor for the club’s young defenseman.

“The little plays he makes on the penalty kill to his partner, so his partner can ice the puck — those are things you can’t teach,” Holland said. “He’s been able to extend his career for almost a quarter of a century because of his determination, work ethic and passion for the game. I can talk to people about it, and Mike Babcock can talk to people about it, but you just gotta watch Chris. He’s a role model.”

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Still with the Red Wings, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun reports that the club are so keen on re-signing pending UFA defenseman Brad Stuart that they would like to ink him before he can reach free agency.

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Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun suggests that Calgary Flames forward Matthew Lombardi could replace pending UFAs Daymond Langkow, Craig Conroy, and Stephane Yelle at the center position if none of them can be re-signed.