Hockey Hearsay

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the agent for Jaromir Jagr said today that Jagr is en route to the United States and will inform of a decision on his NHL future late this afternoon.

"He is flying to New York (from the Czech Republic) right now," agent Petr Svoboda said. "He is coming this afternoon and will tell us his answer then."

Svoboda said he talked to Jagr last night about the Pens' offer, and that Detroit and Montreal are also known to have made offers.

Jagr is not expected to arrive in the U.S. until at least 3:30 p.m. Svoboda said he expects to know Jagr's decision within an hour of his arrival.

The Penguins have set today as a deadline to hear if Jagr will accept their one-year offer that is around $2 million to play for them next season. Jagr, 39, spent the first 11 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins, but has spent the past three years playing in Russia.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero said he has spoken with Jagr, who told him he wants to play for the Penguins.

"He was an icon in Pittsburgh," Shero said. "We'd like to see him finish his career here."

(**Nichols' note: I'll have the decision on Twitter almost immediately after it is known. If you're not already following me then ?? and if you're not on Twitter yet, get on it. Free agency looms and this will be one of the best times of the year to get those instant updates.)

Trading Christian Ehrhoff to the New York Islanders was easier for the Vancouver Canucks than replacing him will be, according to The Vancouver Province.

The Canucks finally pressed their last-resort button Tuesday, dealing Ehrhoff to the Islanders for a 2012 fourth-round draft pick.

The trade was a no-brainer, and something of a haul for the Canucks, who concluded there was no way they could meet Ehrhoff's contract demands, believed to be just north of $5-million per year.

"It became apparent to us we weren't going to be able to re-sign Christian," admitted assistant GM Laurence Gilman.

The move came after GM Mike Gillis peppered a conference call, scheduled to announce Kevin Bieksa 's signing, with hints Ehrhoff is chasing loonies.

Ehrhoff flatly rejected the Canucks' last offer, which was the same five-year, $23-million deal Bieksa agreed to Monday. The Canucks may have lacked confidence in this negotiation, but they did hold out hope that their final offer, and a chance to win, would be enough to win Ehrhoff over. It was not.

Best GPS navigation deals for Black Friday 2008

The official holiday shopping season kicks into gear this week, with online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores promising deep discounts to move merchandise on Black Friday . Given the troubled economy and growing concern for consumer spending, it is safe to say that good deals will be abundant. However, be sure to compare prices and research the products to ensure you are getting a good deal on good items.

In scanning the deals for portable GPS navigation systems, we’re seeing attractive prices on many good models. This isn’t surprising. The general trend in this fast-moving electronics category has been for new models to offer more features and often come in at a lower price than the ones they replace.

Many of the units we’re seeing in sales flyers are basic navigators—devices that provide guidance with few extras. As always, consider the features that you will use regularly and avoid the temptation to overspend for a high-end model that you simply don’t need.

In particular, there are a wide range of Garmin and (to a lesser degree) TomTom models offered at "giftable" prices. Recent products from both brands tend to score above average in our GPS Ratings .

Whether buying for a gift or personal indulgence, consult our GPS buying advice to learn about key features and check the Ratings—updated in just the last few days. (We are testing more units and will again update the Ratings in December.) There is a convenient product selector to help sort and filter the GPS Ratings based on the features that matter most to you. (These charts and tools are available to online subscribers.) We've collected standout offers on units that have tested well or are similar to top tested models and warrant a closer look. For this round-up, we focused on retailers that have traditionally had aggressive holiday pricing and a national presence. Better prices may be available from other sellers, and this list can provide a benchmark to judge by.

As prices and conditions may change, we encourage you to confirm pricing, availability, and store hours to ensure you can get these deals. In addition, some items may be available through the store Web sites for the discounted price, sparing you from the early-morning shopping frenzy.

The Price of a Bargain, The Quest for Cheap and the Death of Globalization

Retailing

Plunkett's Retail Industry Almanac 2009 (E-Book), Retail Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading Companies

Fashion and the Consumer

Christmas Sucks, What to Do When Fruitcake, Family, and Finding the Perfect Gift Make You Miserable