NHL Rumors II: Flyers, Predators, Neal, Maple Leafs, Lazar, Miller and the Canucks
  • Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer: The Flyers need an offseason retooling, bringing in some speed. The Flyers don’t have a lot of salary cap space, potentially $4.5 million before re-signing  Kimmo Timonen, Ray Emery, Brayden Schenn, Adam Hall, and Jason Akeson. GM Ron Hextall may have to trade one or two of their higher salaries players to create some room. The Predators could use some offensive help, so it’s possible they might have interest in Vincent Lecavalier. New Preds head coach Peter Laviolette was with the Flyers when they brought Lecavalier in last year. The Flyers will get $4.9 million in cap relief when Chris Pronger is put on the LTIR.
  • Mark Madden: (Pittsburgh radio host) A highly-placed source said off the record that James Neal asked for a trade. Neal on the record said he didn’t. James Neal: “All of these rumors couldn’t be further from the truth. I love being a Pittsburgh Penguin. I hope to remain a Penguin and win as a Penguin.”
  • David Staples: Staples wonders if the Maple Leafs would trade their 8th overall pick and Dion Phaneuf or Jake Gardiner for the 1st overall pick to draft either Sam Bennett or Sam Reinhart.
  • Jim Matheson: The Sharks would have taken Curtis Lazar with the 18th overall pick, but the Senators drafted him with the 17th overall pick.
  • Hope Smoke: Darren Dreger: “if Miller wants to play somewhere in vicinity of Cali & on the West coast then Van makes a lot of sense. No rock solid #1 there”
  • Mike Harrington: With the Sharks and Ducks not likely to have interest in Ryan Miller anymore, the Canucks are at the top of Harrington’s list of potential landing spots for Miller, especially with the Jim Benning/Buffalo connection.