- Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News: Sabres goalie Ryan Miller has taken his fair share of criticism this season. The better he plays, the more tempting it is for the Sabres to keep him. Will the Sabres trade him to improve in other areas or do they risk keeping him and he has another season like this one?
“If they came to me and said they wanted to move me, I would want to know why,” Miller said. “That hasn’t been the case. No one has ever asked about my feelings regarding players and movement, especially with myself. People think there’s more discussion being done behind the scenes than there really is.”
“I hold true to the statement, I’m not going to ask for a trade,” he said. “Even if the situation was really, really horrible, I made a commitment. I would like to have some kind of solution before it ever gets to that point.”
- Bob Mitchell of the Toronto Star: A month ago before the Ducks 9-1-1 turnaround, there was trade speculation that the Leafs could send Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri and Luke Schenn for Ryan Getzlaf. The Leafs may have had to toss in Joe Colborne or a 1st round pick. Another rumor had Nikolai Kulemin, Schenn, Brad Ross and a 1st rounder. Mitchell thinks there is a 50% chance of the Leafs landing Getzlaf.
- Lance Hornby via twitter: Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski’s agent is in Toronto, and could be talking contract extension. Grabovski’s agent, Gary Greenstin:
“Brian Burke has to do the best for the team. I have to do the best for my player. Right now, the best for my player is to stay with the Leafs.”
- Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province: Cory Schneider is a RFA with arbitration rights this summer. It’s unlikely the Canucks would trade him in-season due to Roberto Luongo’s playoff history.
- Nick Cotsonika via twitter: “Read and hear about lots of teams with lots of cap room looking to add. That means high prices. They better hope more teams fall out soon.”
- Josh Rimer via twitter: Darren Dreger said the Maple Leafs will likely take another run at James van Riemsdyk.
- The Fourth Period: The Blue Jackets are likely to keep center Derick Brassard. Jeff Carter has said he’s never asked for a trade. The Blue Jackets could move Vinny Prospal, Kristian Huselius and Antoine Vermette.
- Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press: Dustin Byfuglien and Alex Burmistrov will be game-time decisions for tonight.
- Andy Strickland of True Hockey: The Blues may not know until tomorrow if Andy McDonald and Alex Steen will be able to return to the lineup. If they can’t go Friday, Hitchcock expects to see them back on Saturday.
- Helene Elliott via twitter: Scouting the Kings-Blue Jackets game were the Canucks, Rangers, Blues, 3 from Bruins, Ducks, Predators, Leafs and Coyotes. Not all showed up, as some went to the Ducks game. The Wild and Blues scouted the Ducks game according to Lisa Dillman.
- David Pagnotta via twitter: The Kings, Avalanche, Senators, Canucks and Blues were scouting the Leafs-Penguins game.
- Mike Chambers of the Denver Post: J.S. Giguere will start in net for the Avalanche tonight against the Wild.
#1 by Dom at February 2nd, 2012
Miller is not going anywhere. He got a shutout last night and still the Sabres lost. Why would they move their MVP ? The Sabres need to acquire much needed scoring power so they can help Miller win a few games. With Stafford, Leino, Boyes, Ennis and Roy being such huge underachievers this season Miller is definitely not to blame
#2 by hotwings at February 2nd, 2012
buffalo are out of the playoffs.. wont make it… and the vanek injury is gonna be the nail in the tombstone if he is out for even a few games… they gotta focus on next year and try to get some value for some of their extra weight.. i think this new owner has cursed the team a bit with his propensity to fork out money to free agents… ernhoff, leino.. not really wise signings.. with those 2.. i think they were overvalued as players to start with, since their teams, philly and vancouver, were powerhouses to start with.. made them look better than they were..
if miller never regains his preconcussion form, then goodluck!!!
hopefully the leafs dont get van reims… too many concussion issues… and i think u can get a better player for luke schenn if u package schenn with something else..
#3 by Dom at February 2nd, 2012
Hotwings – not sure if you have been watching hockey lately but Miller has let in 2 goals (in total) in his last 3 games, which means he looks like he is regaining his form. The Sabres are 10 points out of a playoff spot with 31 games remaining (a bit too early to be making those kinds of predictions) You can’t blame the Sabres owner (Pegula) for dishing out money that the Sabres have been lacking for decades you blame Darcy Regehr for how he spent it.
#4 by Jeff at February 2nd, 2012
Regardless of the price, no one expected Leino and Ehrhoff to be this bad. They have to hope they rebound next season. There is lots to like about this team. Especially the progress of the young Center Luke Adam.
#5 by AJ at February 2nd, 2012
In a sense, reality check and trader rumor of the day are the 2 opposite ends of the spectrum, so I find the title of the article ironic.
Again, doesn’t make sense for Anaheim to trade the big 3. The 50% is purely statistical.
#6 by hotwings at February 2nd, 2012
i am blaming regehr for how the money was spent.. but just saying that buffalo has worked better as a small market team in the past… but ya the fault lies more on darcy than anyone else.. just because he has money, doesnt mean he should spend it.. now they are saddled with those 2 huge contracts for a few years… it doesnt get any easier from this point out…
as for miller… im not gonna be convinced after 3 games.. even if he gets hot.. the team needs more scoring.. and if vanek cant come back quick, they are certainly done… baring the unforeseen, 10 points at this point in the season is enough.. they r done…
#7 by I_am_I at February 2nd, 2012
@Dom: Buffalo is out. Using 93 points as a benchmark which seems to be where the 8th seed is trending (Ottawa is on pace for 8th with 93 points) this season Buffalo needs 45 points in 31 games or a 72.6% winning rate. Something like 20-6-5 or 22-8-1. Impossible? No. But for perspective last year New Jersey had the best record down the stretch at just under 70%.
You are right about Miller though, it would take an amazing return to even consider trading him and Regehr has fallen into the sudden ability to spend syndrome and gotten himself in a mess.
#8 by Reel bigA at February 2nd, 2012
The leafs have an overload of D right now, the Flyers have lots of depth up front. A JVR for Schenn and a pick deal would make sense for both teams. Philly needs a 6th D, Leafs need a bit of size up front and JVR is a big forward who can score in the clutch situations. Hotwings is wrong saying JVR has had too many concusion issues. This is his first and I believe Schenn has had one as well. In age and health this would be a fair trade but JVR will be more exslensive than Schenn… JVR started the comeback against the Bruins in game 7 two years ago and was the reason Philly beat the Sabres last year… JVR is a huge asset come playoffs, Philly will not give him up for just a 3rd line D.
#9 by Wunschkind at February 2nd, 2012
One concussion is enough to be considered having concussion issues. Once you’ve had one, you’re never truly 100% again.
#10 by hotwings at February 2nd, 2012
ya concussions are such a pandoras box… they dont know enough about them and curing them is far in the future it seems..
id stay the hell away from jvr… there are a lot of other young forward options out there if you are gonna trade away luke schenn… the leafs already have their share of concussion issues with liles, grabo, connolly and lombardi
#11 by Jeff at February 2nd, 2012
Odds are, every player in the league has had a concussion at some point in his life.
#12 by Jeff at February 4th, 2012
I wonder if a team would be interested in Tim Connolly. I imagine Colborne could be just as effective right now.