via Inside the Kings,

I have an unconfirmed report, from a source very close to Rob Blake, that he has signed with San Jose for $5 million.

Update 5:19pm ET: Confirmed by Inside the Kings:

Rob Blake has signed with San Jose, apparently for one year and $5 million. I’ve confirmed this with two sources close to the situation but the Sharks have yet to release word of this.

Update 6:02pm ET: TSN reports this as breaking news, “TSN has learned the San Jose Sharks have signed defenceman Rob Blake to a one-year deal.”

Update 6:06pm ET: From David Pollack at Working the Corners --

Expect the official announcement in about an hour, but the Sharks have signed veteran defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year, $5 million contract.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson declined to discuss the impending announcement of what will be the Sharks’ first free-agent signing of the summer, saying it was “a little premature.” But he didn’t shoot down the report that first surfaced on a Southern California web site.

A “Southern California web site”? Is it that hard to provide credit?? Sheesh.

Update 6:09pm ET: San Jose Sharks press release below.

SHARKS SIGN FREE AGENT DEFENSEMAN ROB BLAKE

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has signed Group III unrestricted free agent defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Blake, 38, is tied for fourth among active NHL defensemen (T-22nd in NHL history) with 702 points (223-479=702) and first among active defensemen in goals (223, 14th in NHL history) in 1,127 career NHL regular season games with Los Angeles and Colorado. 

He just finished his 18th career season in 2007-08, recording 31 points (9-22=31) in 71 games with Los Angeles.  He posted five power play goals and accumulated 98 penalty minutes.

“Rob is a tremendous competitor that has been one of the top defensemen in this League for many years,” said Wilson.  “While he has enjoyed mentoring the young guys, great players need the ability to win in order to thrive and his sole purpose here is to focus on winning.”