Posts Tagged Cory Schneider

State of the Vancouver Canucks: NHL Trade Deadline Edition

Written by Errol N. Hannigan and can be contacted by email at enhannigan@hotmail.com

At this point in the season the Vancouver Canucks are a win away from tying Detroit for first place in the NHL. Last year Vancouver finished first overall with a record of 54-19-9 for a total of 117 points and based on their current production are on pace to equal that amount again this year. If that will be enough to be first again remains to be seen, as the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers also look like strong contenders.

Vancouver has made a few personnel changes from the team that came within one win of hoisting the Stanley Cup last year, and they look like a team that should be able to contend again without making any deadline changes.

Since last year the Canucks have added some grit to their line-up in the form of Byron Bitz, Mike Duco and if he is able to return from the injury list Aaron Volpatti. Vancouver has two lines that can put up points with regularity. The Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, and the ever improving Alexandre Burrows are the number one line. With line number two being one of the fastest lines in hockey right now with the all USA born Kesler, Higgins and Booth. They also have good third and fourth lines that they can roll and use to wear down their opponents. They have one of the best face-off men in all of hockey in Manny Malhotra, who they use almost exclusively to win defensive zone face-offs.

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Pens would like a 40 goal scorer, but … Sens interested in Ruutu, listening to offers on Kuba and Gonchar … Buyers, Sellers, etc … Havlat skating

  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Penguins GM Ray Shero:

    “We’re playing well, getting healthy, and that means more than anything. If I could get a 40-goal scorer or something that makes sense, I’d do that. But …”

    Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Many are looking to see what Senators GM Bryan Murray will do. The Senators are interested in Tuomo Ruutu, along with the Bruins, Rangers, Flyers, Blackhawks and Predators. Though there are some reports that he’s off the market, one executive said Saturday that he wasn’t. To get Ruutu could be costly, a top prospect (perhaps Mark Stone or Stefan Noesen) and a 1st round pick, which is not going to happen. The Senators have been listening to offers for Filip Kuba. It’s doubtful that it happens, but is possible. Sergei Gonchar could also get dealt.

  • Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star: McGran lists teams that will be buyers, sellers or will stand pat. Buyers: Rangers, Maple Leafs, Flyers, Capitals, Sharks, Canucks, Kings, Predators, Blackhawks, Devils and Stars. Sellers:  Blue Jackets, Hurricanes, Oilers, Lightning, Sabres, Wild and Canadiens. Standing Pat: Red Wings, Flames, Islanders, Senators, Jets, Ducks, Bruins, Panthers, Penguins, Blues, Coyotes and Avalanche. Hot Commodities: Rick Nash, Ryan Suter, Jeff Carter, Luke Schenn, Sam Gagner and Ryan Miller. Buyer Beware: Scott Gomez, Rick DiPietro, Alexander Semin, Dustin Penner and Brad Boyes. Coveted Young Players: Cory Schneider, Jonathan Bernier, Sergei Bobrovski, James van Riemsdyk, Jake Gardiner, Cody Hodgson, Michael Del Zotto and Ryan McDonagh
  • Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin didn’t finish last night’s game after he tweaked his groin, but it may also have been exhaustion. Canucks defenseman Keith Ballard is out with concussion symptoms.

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Morning NHL rumors involving: Kings, Blue Jackets, Capitals, Senators, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Schneider and Stars

  • Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: Rumblings continue with the Kings possibly moving Jack Johnson if they can up their offense with a first-line forward. Jonathan Bernier’s name is out there as well. Any deal for Nash would likely included both Johnson and Bernier. LeBrun thinks the Kings and Blue Jackets talked about Jeff Carter before the Nash thing broke. The Capitals have looked at Blue Jackets Antoine Vermette, among others. The Capitals are waiting to see how Nicklas Backstrom is closer to the deadline before they make a move. Senators GM Bryan Murray is not looking for a short-term fix and won’t part with any of their top prospects to bring in some offensive help. They’d like a top 6 but only if the price is right.
  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press: The Red Wings will look to add 1 or 2 veterans for their Cup run. Teemu Selanne would be ideal but he’s focused on getting the Ducks in. Rick Nash would be expensive. Tuomo Ruutu is out 3 weeks and the Hurricanes want to re-sign him. Ryan Smyth has said he wants to stay in Edmonton and Ales Hemsky isn’t gritty and is injury prone.
  • Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun: To bring in Rick Nash, it may take Jake Gardiner, a 1st round pick, one of Joe Colborne or Nazem Kadri and maybe one of Clarke MacArthur or Nikolai Kulemin. If it isn’t Nash, the Leafs could use a forward. Koshan lists some players who the Maple Leafs might be interested in: James van Riemsdyk. Jeff Carter, Evgeni Nabokov, Nikolai Khabibulin, Ales Hemsky, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, Ryan Malone, Dustin Penner, Brenden Morrow, Mike Knuble, and Alex Ovechkin.
  • Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province: Canucks Cory Schneider tries to take all trade rumors in stride:

    “It’s hard to avoid it, it’s always on somewhere,” said Schneider. “We tend to ignore most of the speculation but it’s interesting to see who is going to strengthen themselves — a contender or a team we’re directly competing against with a guy like Rick Nash. That obviously has implications on us. We don’t follow it obsessively or believe every rumour we hear, but guys keep an eye out and see if we’re going to be active.

    “For me, I just don’t think about it. I’ve got a job to do here and if I don’t do it, that probably eliminates possibilities of anything ever happening anyways. I enjoy it here. I’m not looking to get moved and I’m not asking for a trade by any means. If it’s a hockey decision, then it’s out of my control.”

  • Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: (mailbag) Heika thinks the Stars have to shop Mike Ribeiro and Steve Ott to see what interest there is. They can’t just give them away, but if you can get a good return for them, it might be something to do. If they could get a good offer for goalie prospect Jack Campbell, they could move him.

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HC Rick Nash Trade Tracker Video … Plus other Rick Nash trade rumors

  • John Shannon on where Nash could land: Rangers, Maple Leafs, Canucks, and Kings. Lawton lists: Rangers, Kings, Red Wings and Flyers. Both say they need to get a young starting goalie back.
  • Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun: Sure the Maple Leafs will be interested in Nash, but it would take a lot to pull it off, with the price getting higher with each passing day. Zeisberger lists some factors that will come into play: 1. Nash’s no-movement clause. He drives the bus. 2. Nash is in the 2nd year of a 8 year, $62.4 million deal, a $7.8 million cap hit. 3. The Blue Jackets are not actively shopping Nash, but will consider offers, and the price will be huge. Maple Leafs names you’ll hear will at least be Mikhail Grabovski, Luke Schenn, Nazem Kadri, James Reimer and Carl Gunnarsson.
  • Elliotte Friedman of CBC: The Blue Jackets met last week to discuss Nash’s future, and decide to explore a trade. Apparently, they went to Nash a couple weeks ago about the idea, and were waiting for him to submit a list. Nash was willing to waive his no-movement as they were looking at another rebuild. The Blue Jackets currently have more than $50 million committed against the salary cap next year. 3 aspects that make a Nash deal complicated are: Nash must want to go there, that team has to pay the high asking price, and Nash has to fit into that teams cap structure and dressing room. On the surface the Canucks could be a perfect match with Cory Schneider, Cody Hodgson, Chris Tanev and maybe another piece, but don’t look for that to happen. The Rangers, Maple Leafs, and Flyers may not be scared of adding him. “The tough thing about trades like this one,” said another GM, “is that Columbus is starting in a bad position. Chances are, you’re giving up the best player.” The Maple Leafs may not have what GM Scott Howson wants, mainly goaltending. The Flyers and Kings may have the goalie the Blue Jackets need.
  • Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch: The Blue Jackets management came to Rick Nash, he did not request a trade. Nash had a feeling they might come asking. Nash did not want a trade, and until last week, they were telling teams he wasn’t going to be traded. There is a chance nothing happens at the deadline and they wait until the summer. Arace wonders that if president Mike Priest and GM Scott Howson put the team in this predicament, how can they be the ones to fix it?
  • Adam Kimelman of NHL.com: G Scott Howson told the Columbus Dispatch:

    “We’re open to all options to try to improve the team,” Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson told the newspaper this morning. “As far as rumors go, we’re just not going to comment.”

    and Rick Nash said to the Dispatch:

    “The last couple of weeks there have been so many rumors,” Nash told the newspaper following the team’s morning skate. “And when a team loses, more rumors keep on surfacing. That’s what it seems to be right now, is just rumors.

    “I’m a Blue Jacket right now. I’ve played my whole career here and it’s a special place to me. So as of right now I’m a Blue Jacket.”

    Scott Howson to NHL.com on Saturday:

    “I’m not going to disclose what we’re going to do, but we certainly have a plan in place,” Howson told NHL.com. “We’re working on it, we’re talking to teams. We’ll see … it’s not just a pre-deadline plan. It’s a plan leading up to the draft and leading into next season. We’ll see what happens before the 27th and we expect to be active.”

  • TSN Tradecenter video link: McKenzie notes it could be a 5 team list, and that they could be looking for a young goalie, defenseman and forward for Nash. Canucks, Maple Leafs, Kings, Rangers and Flyers could be the teams. Too many assets to give up, cap number, and how it affects the dressing room are concerns for teams. Brandon Dubinsky’s name has come up with the Rangers. James van Riemsdyk would have be in the mix for the Flyers. The Kings have pieces like Jonathan Bernier, Andrei Loktionov and Slava Voynov. Wild card teams could be the Bruins and Sharks.

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Blue Jackets reportedly put Rick Nash on the trade market

Feb. 14th 6:30 PM:

4:45 PM:

  • Helene Elliott via twitter: A Kings source says there is no truth to the recent rumor that Nash is going to the Kings. (Rumored deal was Nash to Kings for Bernier, Penner, Hunter and a pick)
  • Nick Kypreos via twitter: Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson was given a list of teams that Rick Nash would waive his no movement clause for. Believed to be a short list.
  • @b1rky via twitter: Pierre LeBrun said on TSN1050 that the Canucks and Kings have both talked to the Blue Jackets.
  • Larry Brooks of the NY Post: The Rangers have had preliminary discussions with the Blue Jackets about Nash. The asking price is in excess of a speculated package including Bandon Dubinsky, Chris Kreider and a 1st round pick. GM Scott Howson scouted the Rangers-Flyers game on Saturday.
  • Katie Strang via ESPN: Strang also notes a package could include Dubinsky, Kreider and a 1st, if not more. The Rangers also have Tim Erixon, J.T. Miller, Christian Thomas and Dylan McIlrath.

12:45 PM:

  • Shawn Mitchell via twitter: Rick Nash: “I’ve played my whole career here so it’s a special place to me. As of right now I’m a Blue Jacket.”
  • Dennis Bernstein via twitter: “History shows when dealing a star, team rarely gets equal value. Smart team empties vault for Rick Nash.”
  • Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: 2 GMs inquired about Nash on Friday and were given a firm ‘No.’ Something changed quickly. This doesn’t mean Scott Howson will trade Nash at by the deadline, but he’ll definitely be listening to offers. LeBrun think Nash’s camp may have went to Howson and said he’d be open to moving. Burnside notes that the Kings, Rangers and Maple Leafs would be interested. The Blue Jackets may want a 1st round pick, a couple NHL ready prospects, maybe a young roster player. Howson will ask the moon. LeBrun notes the Kings, Rangers and Flyers would make sense. The Rangers have a nice piece in Chris Kreider. The Flyers have the Brayden Schenn, James van Riemsdyk or Sean Couturier.  The Kings have Jonathan Bernier, forward Andrei Loktionov or Dmen Slava Voynov and Jack Johnson. The Canucks could be in the mix with Cory Schneider. Possibly the Sharks could be interested.  The Leafs would for sure would be calling. One team executive said this morning, “My sense is that this will still wait until the summer, but it’s not totally impossible to get it done before the deadline.”
  • Bob McKenzie of TSN: McKenzie writes, “Last week, in no uncertain terms, NHL teams were told Nash was not available and this week, he is. For the right team, anyway.” This doesn’t mean he’ll be traded. None of this trade talk would be going on without having Nash’s consent. Nash likely has a limited number of teams he’d consider moving to. Half the league would likely be interested in him, but maybe only a handful of teams that would interest him. Nash is in control with his no-movement clause.
  • Darren Dreger via twitter: The Blue Jackets would insist on young roster players in any Nash deal. The location would be determined by Nash.
  • Larry Brooks via twitter: For the Rangers to acquire Nash, it’s unknown if he’d waive his no-movement clause to go to New York.
  • Steve Simmons via twitter: Simmons wonders why Blue Jackets would let the likely to be fired GM Scott Howson trade their best asset.

10:20 AM:

  • Joe Yerdon via twitter: Columbus holds all the cards on a Rick Nash deal. It’s up to GM Scott Howson to “hit it out of the park” if he trades him.
  • Dan Rosen via twitter: Rosen can’t believe a Nash deal will happen. The team needs changes but not Nash. Not good for Blue Jackets fans if he’s traded.
  • Kevin Paul Dupont via twitter: 3 goalies the Blue Jackets to target in a Nash deal are: Cory Schneider, Jonathan Bernier and Tuukka Rask. Dupont thinks it would be fun for Nash to be with the Rangers or Maple Leafs, but they don’t really have the goalie piece for Columbus. Maybe a 3 team deal.
  • Kevin Paul Dupont via twitter: Dupont can see a Blue Jackets-Flyers-Maple Leafs deal. The Leafs get Nash. The Blue Jackets get Sergei Bobrovsky. The Blue Jackets and Flyers share some Leafs players.

Feb. 13th 10:24 PM:

  • Renaud Lavoie via twitter: 2 NHL sources told Lavoie that Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash is on the trade market. Nash has a no-movement clause.
  • Aaron Portzline via twitter: Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson through a spokesman declines to comment on the report that Rick Nash is on the trade block.

Nash has a salary cap hit of $7.8 million 2017-18. His yearly salary is $7.5 million this year, $7.6 million in 2012-13, $7.8 million in 2013-14, $7.9 million in 2014-15, $7.9 million in 2015-16, $8 million in 2016-17, and $8.2 million in 2017-18.

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State of the New Jersey Devils: NHL Trade Deadline Edition

Written by Todd Cordell of The Hockey Guys and can be found on twitter at @ToddCordell

We’re just a few weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline, the Devils find themselves right in the midst of the playoff race; something they weren’t in until it was too late last season. As always, there are a lot of rumors and pieces speculating as to what Devils President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello may do at or before the February 27th Deadline. Before I examine what they may do, attempt to do or anything else I will first look at what they will not to.

There’s a lot to get to in this piece so I figure it’s best to break everything up.

First, what New Jersey is NOT going to do at the deadline.

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Oils want a Dman … Bruins want depth … MacArthur “Rumors suck” … CSKA wants Radulov … Koivu close … Filatov demoted … Starting goalies

  • Elliotte Friedman of CBC: Don’t be surprised if Predators GM David Poile announces that he won’t trade Ryan Suter. The Preds were one team who sent a private jet to pick up there All-Stars: Suter, Shea Weber and Craig Smith. The Oilers are letting teams know they want a defenseman if/when they trade some of their assets. Bruins coach Claude Julien would like to see them add an experienced depth defenseman and a depth forward.
  • Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun: The Maple Leafs and Mikhail Grabovski are not involved in serious contract talks. Grabovski shrugs off trade rumors that involve him as part of a package. Clarke MacArthur’s name is also coming up in rumors.

    “There is always something every day,” MacArthur said. “Usually if I don’t hear it, I get a text message from someone saying they heard a rumour. It’s tiring, it’s hard on you, but it is a part of the job.

    “(Rumours) suck, but what are you going to do? If you look close, I have a few grey hairs.”

    The Leafs have been linked to Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, Ales Hemsky, Tuomo Ruutu and Ryane Clowe recently.

  • Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province: The Canucks need to add a top 4 defenseman as insurance and some grit up front. Mason Raymond will hear is name is rumors often. The Canucks could use someone like Travis Moen.
  • Slava Malamud via twitter: CSKA is making a pitch for Alexander Radulov with intent of signing him to a long-term contract. CSKA has lots of oil money. Radulov has a “gentleman’s agreement” with Salavat that he can leave for the NHL (Preds) this summer despite his contract. CSKA is trying to buy his rights.
  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune: Wild Guillaume Latendresse and Mikko Koivu were practicing yesterday, but neither’s return is imminent. Josh Harding will start tonight.

    “They’re going to need some time getting acclimated to the group again and getting involved in practices and doing things at game speed and executing at that level before they can jump into the lineup,” said Yeo, adding that he believes Koivu is “much closer” to playing than Latendresse.

  • Paul Hendrick via twitter: Leafs coach Ron Wilson doesn’t expect John-Michael Liles, Colby Armstrong and Darryl Boyce to play tonight. Wednesday is a possibility.
  • Erik Erlendsson via twitter: Lightning’s Ryan Malone and Marc-Andre Bergeron won’t play tonight. Mathieu Garon will start in net.
  • Chris Kuc via twitter: Cory Schneider will start in net for the Canucks tonight against the Blackhawks.
  • David Alter via twitter: Jonas Gustavsson will start in net tonight against the Penguins. Wednesday’s starter is not determined yet.

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Oilers would listen to Khabibulin offers … Round up of what some teams are looking for … Could Visnovsky be on the move? Glencross out 6 weeks

  • Darren Dreger of TSN: (mailbag) The Oilers would listen to offers on Nikolai Khabibulin (39). He has 1 year left at $3.75 million. They would need to get a goalie back if they dealt him. Hard to see the Oilers and Canucks doing a deal for Schneider. If the Oilers made it a big deal that included Ales Hemsky, a Jonathan Bernier deal could make some sense. The Flames are still looking to improve this year, and can use some of their upcoming UFAs for help. The Blue Jackets could dangle Jeff Carter, Antoine Vermette and Derick Brassard. Rick Nash’s name will come up at the deadline. The Capitals are expecting Mike Green to return just before the trade deadline.
  • Jason Brough of ProHockey Talk: Brough thinks that if the Blue Jackets were to trade Jeff Carter, it’s more likely to happen in the summer, maybe by a new GM. Would he get a package equal to what he gave up for him now? It cost them their 2011 8th overall pick, which turned out to be Sean Couturier, Jakob Voracek and a 3rd rounder. Carter is under contract until 2022 with a $5.3 million cap hit. The Maple Leafs have been looking for a 1st line center. The Rangers could use some scoring help. The Kings could also use some additional scoring, reuniting him with Mike Richards.
  • Kevin Allen of the Toronto Star: Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke thinks it will be a busy trade deadline, but Burke hope to make moves beforehand as he’s “never liked the price tag at the deadline.” The Predators are looking for offensive help, and GM David Poile could deal Ryan Suter if they can’t re-sign him. The Sabres have to look at a roster shake-up. They could use a top-line center, and Drew Stafford could be bait. The Coyotes could use some help up front. The Wild are looking for some offensive help. The Oilers could trade UFAs Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth. The Flyers should be looking for a veteran blueliner. The Senators could use some more scoring help up front. The Ducks have Jason Blake heading to free agency. The Blue Jackets have Vinny Prospal and Samuel Pahlsson who’ll draw some interest. The Hurricanes will get interest in Tim Gleason and Tuomo Ruutu.
  • Pierre LeBrun via twitter: LeBrun thinks that Beauchemin’s contract extension further raises the possibility that Lubomir Visnovsky could be dealt at the trade deadline.
  • Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider: Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier is under contract until 2012-13, but will the Kings trade him before then? Many teams regard him as a future #1 goalie. But is he playing enough to generate a strong offer? He’s on pace to play in 15 games.

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Schneider safe at deadline … Preds claim Yip … Carson, Repik to waivers … Hall hopes to play Saturday … Steen out … Starting goalies

  • Jason Botchford via twitter: From what Cory Schneider has been told regarding the trade deadline, he doesn’t have much to worry about.
  • Tom Gulitti via twitter: Devils goalie Johan Hedberg hasn’t made a definite decision, but is thinking he’ll likely play next year.
  • Tom Gulitti via twitter: Devils lines: Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk; Sykora-Elias-Zubrus; Zalewski-Josefson-Clarkson; Carter-Mills-Janssen.

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Sens could be buyers … Flyers like Suter and Schenn … Red Wings eye Parise … Oils like Ellis … Green out 4-6 weeks … Ribeiro to IR

  • James Gordon of the Ottawa Citizen: Senators owner Eugene Melnyk:

    “If we continue on our road and we’re healthy, we’ll certainly look at doing something prior to the trade deadline and, at the very least, we’ll be looking at doing something.

    “But a lot also has to do with not screwing around with a good thing,” he said, noting the players are pleased with their current situation.

    “But if they are behind it, this is the one time you let the players speak and they’ll tell you in a heartbeat, yeah, we need this and we need that and that’s it.”

  • Brian Hedger via twitter: Frustrated Sabres goalie Ryan Miller: “We’ve got to find it from in here. We can’t sit and wait for somebody else to (bleeping) do it.” and “Do you guys really think there’s any kind of trade made … that’s going to affect this team any more than we can affect it … ?”
  • Sportsnet.ca: According to a report from Bruce Garrioch, if the Blue Jackets decide to replace GM Scott Howson, former Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. is a possible replacement.
  • Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: The Flyers continue to monitor Predators defenseman Ryan Suter. James van Riemsdyk could have been a piece, but he is currently out with a concussion. He has a muscle tear in his abdomen and has a hip that will require surgery this offseason. Would the Flyers consider moving Brayden Schenn as Sean Couturier may have passed him on the depth chart? They have their 1st round pick in play and possibly blueline prospect Marc-Andre Bourdon. A condition on a Suter deal would be for him to sign a long-term deal before July 1st. The Flyers like a Luke Schenn for James van Riemsdyk deal if they can’t land Suter. His concussion could put things on hold for now. The Lightning won’t be buyers at the deadline, but they’ll be taking offers on UFAs like Dominic Moore. GM Yzerman won’t look for a goalie now, and may wait for the offseaon and look at Josh Harding, Jonathan Bernier or Cory Schneider. Matheson says the Red Wings could be interested in Zach Parise this summer. They have the cap space to offer him a 5 year deal at a $8.25 million cap hit. The Penguins could use a guy like Tuomu Ruutu. The Oilers would love to get Predators dman Ryan Ellis. The Preds would be willing to move Jonathan Blue as he’s fallen out of favor.
  • Lindsay Applebaum of the Washington Post: Capitals defenseman will be out 4 to 6 weeks as he will undergo abdominal surgery. He’ll have the surgery today to hopefully repair damage from his now-chronic groin issue.
  • Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Sidney Crosby said late last week that he is still experiencing some trouble with motion and balance, will see a concussion specialist in chiropractic neurology. Crosby didn’t suffer any setbacks after skating on Friday and Saturday.
  • Dallas Morning News: The Stars have put center Mike Ribeiro on the IR with a lower body injury.
  • Rich Hammond of the LA Kings Insider: There is no update on Kings winger Simon Gagne. He’s been out since Dec. 26th with a concussion. He is not doing any hockey activity, nor is he with the team.

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Sunday morning rumors and injuries: the Lightning, Canadiens, Weber, van Riemsdyk, Koivu, Skinner, DiPietro and NHL Sources Say Video

  • Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune: Lightning goalies Dwayne Roloson and Mathieu Garon have a combined GAA of 3.37. Some want the Lightning to trade for Evgeni Nabokov or Antero Niittymaki, or any other goalie who’ll be a UFA at the end of the year. Minor league goalie Dustin Tokarski is playing well in the AHL, but he’s not the answer right now. Trading for guys like Cory Schneider or Jonathan Bernier usually don’t happen during the season, and would cost a significant player/prospect and a high draft pick. In the offseason they could also look at free agent goalies like Brian Elliott and Josh Harding.
  • Toronto Sun: The Canadiens may not be done dealing. Defenseman Hal Gill has seen his ice time decrease as of late and may interest a cup contender who is looking for a big stay at home Dman. Forwards Travis Moen and Andrei Kostitsyn will be UFAs at the end of the season. Defenseman Yannick Weber may get some interest someone who is looking to boost their PP.
  • Randy Miller via twitter: Miller thinks it may cost the Flyers James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier and a top pick for Predators defenseman Shea Weber. The Preds would be aiming for that.
  • Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly: Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk is out with a concussion. “James was hit in the head in each of our last two games,” Holmgren said in a statement.  “He reported yesterday  not feeling like himself.  He will be out indefinitely with a concussion.”
  • Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune: Wild center Mikko Koivu left last night’s game in the 1st period after taking a hit from Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka. Koivu appears to have a left shoulder injury. He left the arena with a sling on.
  • Brian Compton via twitter: Islanders Rick DiPietro is expected to miss 10 weeks after his sports hernia surgery. His knee also has swelling.
  • NHL Sources Say: Talk on next year’s Winter Classic, All-Star game captains and fantasy draft, Blues ownership situation, the Oilers rink situation, and Zach Parise.

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NHL Rumors involving the Bruins, Devils, Wild, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Canucks, Panthers, Sharks, Penguins and Sabres

  • Pierre LeBrun of ESPN:
    * Bruins are moving cautiously towards the trade deadline as GM Chiarelli doesn’t want to mess with their chemistry.

    “Obviously we have a lot of cap room, so there’s a lot of flexibility,” Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told ESPN.com Thursday. “I would like to add depth-wise on the forward front and depth-wise on the defenseman front. But I don’t want to subtract anything.”

    LeBrun thinks that Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu and/or defenseman Tim Gleason could be options.

    * There is a growing feeling around the league that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello won’t trade Zach Parise at the deadline if he’s not signed by then. His rights could be moved before the free agency starts if a deal can’t be reached.

    “He can’t trade away his captain, the face of the franchise, with the team sitting in a playoff spot,” one source told ESPN.com Thursday.

    * The Minnesota Wild have been looking to upgrade their offense for months but their aren’t going to deplete their prospects to do so. LeBrun thinks they may move a B-level prospect, a pick or a player off their roster to get a top 6. Possibly for a guy like Vinny Prospal in Columbus.

    * LeBrun confirms that the Flyers and Maple Leafs have talked over the last week. The Leafs like James van Riemsdyk and the Flyers are looking for a Dman. Ryan Suter is at the top of the Flyers wish list and have shown interest in Hurricanes Tim Gleason.

    * The Rangers are looking for a top 6 forward and/or a power play defenseman. They are keeping an eye on the Ryan Suter-Shea Weber-Nashville Predators situation.

    * The Red Wings will be working the phones over the next 6-7 weeks. They have some interest in Ales Hemsky, and may be looking for a backup goalie upgrade.

    * The Canucks are looking for size upfront, likely for the bottom 6. Cory Schneider is more likely to be dealt in the offseason than at the deadline.

    * The Panthers want to get healthy before they decide what they want to do heading towards the trade deadline.

    “We don’t know yet, hopefully we’ll have everybody back in the lineup in the next couple of week and then we’ll see what we have,” Panthers GM Dale Tallon told ESPN.com Thursday. “And then we’ll see where we’re at as well. There’s no rush here.”

    * The Sharks could use a 3rd line forward and have been shopping Antero Niittymaki.

  • Will DePaoli of Inside Pittsburgh Sports: Despite the recent Penguins struggles, they don’t have anything cooking on the trade front. GM Ryan Shero has a tendency to let the market develop before moving on a deal. They are currently out of the playoffs, but they are not panicking. They don’t have a big deal in the works and any move is weeks away.
  • Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Penguins GM Shero shot down the notion about shelving Sidney Crosby and possibly Kris Letang for the season, and use the cap relief on a big trade or 2.

    “I have to have it in my mind about what we might have coming back,” Shero said. “Those guys are worth waiting for.”

    There is still no timetable on Crosby and Letang’s return.

    “We never even once discussed that,” Shero said of putting Crosby on long-term injured reserve to let him continue to heal for several months and finding a replacement or two through trades.

  • Bob Mitchell of the Toronto Star: Trade speculation out of Philadelphia has them interested in Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn.

    “It doesn’t really mean much,” Schenn, 21, said. “They’re just rumours and I’m happy being here in Toronto. In the 3½ years that I’ve been here there has been a few rumours about trades that were going to happen. They come up every year somehow.”

    It’s no secret the Leafs GM Brian Burke likes James van Riemsdyk. JVR signed a 6 year extension with a $4.25 million cap hit in the offseason. Schenn signed a 5 year deal with a $3.5 million cap hit just before the season started.

  • Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News: Sabres owner Terry Pegula points out the injuries that have hit the team:

    “What everybody is missing is that I’ve been carrying around 167 man games,” he said by telephone Thursday evening. “Forget about the season. I’m talking about the last 25 games. We’ve had 18 players go down. It’s like a merry-go-round every night. You look on the ice and what are your defensive pairs tonight? Hell, who knows? Who’s healthy?

    “I think what’s important is the number of guys. You can have 167 man games with four, five, six guys out for a long period. Eighteen? Cut me a break. I told Darcy Regier one time, ‘If I was you, I would be afraid to get on the plane.’ “

    The Sabres sit 11th in the East with a 18-19-5 record heading into tonight. Many players have struggled. Robyn Regher is -12. Brad Boyes has been injured and hasn’t produced when healthy. Ryan Miller is having the worst season of his career. Derek Roy is 115th in scoring. The Sabres could keep everyone together, make some trade to upgrade the roster which may not be easy, or trade players who they don’t see there long term.

    “My attitude now is, ‘Let’s put Humpty [Dumpty] back together again,’ ” Pegula said. “I want our players to know that I thought we had a pretty good hockey team until all this happened. Let’s paste it back together and start a new season.”

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Crosby update and rumors … Burke like January trades … Lightning, Ducks, Blackhawks rumors … Leafs injury updates … Starting goalies

  • Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: On Sidney Crosby rumors that his season or career could be over.

    “Sidney is doing very well, he’s training, he’s going in the right direction,” agent Pat Brisson of CAA Sports told ESPN.com Friday. “The idea of retiring or shutting him down is not even in our vocabulary. Far from that.”

    “Absolutely zero truth to these rumors,” added Penguins general manager Ray Shero to ESPN.com on Friday.

    Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke tries to make a trade splash in January, well in advance of the trade deadline.

    “We are listening to a lot right now and there is a good chance something will happen but I don’t think it’s going to happen today or tomorrow,” Burke said. “This is like hunting. Sometimes when you’re hunting, you get a feeling you’re going to stumble on something, or birds are coming in and you get a sixth sense something is about to happen. I don’t sense that here right now. We’re talking to a lot of teams about a number of things — mostly we’re listening because we like our group — but I can’t sense if something is imminent or not. Right now I’d say it’s not.”

    Burke would like to add some size upfront, and they are not talking to anyone right now about adding a goaltender.

    Lightning GM Steve Yzerman may have to wait until the offseason to get a young starting goalie and a top 4 defenseman.

    “I think I look at both, short-term and big picture,” Yzerman said. “I’m not going to do something out of desperation that’s going to hurt us in the long run, by trading draft picks and a good prospect or something like that. Any deal has got to make sense for us long term. So that makes it tricky.”

    Ducks GM Bob Murray:

    “What I said is what I said, right now I’m listening to everything,” Murray told ESPN.com. “It would be very difficult to make the type of deals I want, but I’m listening for sure. I still think we have a decent core here, but we’re maybe going to have to change a piece or two.”

    “But sometimes blockbusters happen at the trade deadline, you never know,” Murray said.

    Blackhawks GM Stean Bowman has been looking for a deal for awhile. He’d like to acquire a 4-5 defenseman and a center that could play in the top 6.

    “Ideally, I’d like to find a center man,” Bowman said. “It doesn’t have to be a top center man, but somebody that can play and complement top players.”

  • Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.ca: Kypreos thinks that Sidney Crosby’s season is over based on his long-term health and the potential of a new contract. Crosby has one more year on his deal and can begin negotiations on July 1st. Crosby’s career could be in jeopardy with another concussion, and the next contract won’t come with an insurance policy that covers the Penguins from a career ending concussion. If Crosby is a “Penguin for Life,” the Penguins would be on the hook for the full amount, which could be as much as 10 years, $100 million.
  • David Pagnotta via twitter: According to someone close to the Penguins, Sidney Crosby is doing better and is training. His goal is to back this season, though the timeline is still unclear.
  • Josh Yohe via twitter: Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis will be playing tonight. Paul Martin is in. Arron Asham is out. Zbynek Michalek and Richard Park are ‘iffy.’
  • Chris Botta talks with Darren Dreger about the current trade market.

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Blue Jackets will be active … Sharks carrying 3 goalies for now … Lehtonen to be actived, Raycroft to be waived … Luongo to start

  • Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson on his struggling team, “We’ll be active.”

    “The first six or seven weeks of the season, it was too disjointed,” he said. “We had (James) Wisniewski out. We had (Jeff) Carter out. We had (Radek) Martinek out. We had (Mark) Dekanich out. … It was just too disjointed to get a clear picture. The picture is becoming clearer now. We aren’t playing well enough and … me as management has to find a solution to help the team.”

    “Everything’s on the table,” he said. “We’ve got to look at everything. We’ve got to seriously look at everything. Now that’s different than saying, ‘I’m going to phone every GM tomorrow and say who do you want, (Rick) Nash, Carter or (R.J.) Umberger?’ but we’ve got to look at the whole situation and we’ve got to consider everything.”

  • David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News: Sharks management have their mid-season meetings on Jan. 14th, where they make some decision on what they’ll do before the Feb. 28th trade deadline.

    “We’re carrying three goalies now and we can’t predict the future,” said Wayne Thomas, who doubles as the Sharks’ goalie coach and assistant general manager. “We can’t predict other teams’ needs, we can’t predict our needs. What we try to do is just keep all three of them ready. That’s the job.”

  • Jim Jamieson via twitter: Roberto Luongo will start in net for the Canucks against the Sharks. Cory Schneider will start on Thursday or Saturday.
  • Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen should be ready to go tomorrow against the Blue Jackets. Lehtonen will need to be activated from the IR. As a result, Andrew Raycroft has been informed that he’ll be put on waivers today. Richard Bachman will be the backup after going 5-2-0 with a 2.76 GAA while Lehtonen was out.
  • Erik Erendsson of the Tampa Tribune: Lightning forward Martin St. Louis must wear a full cage for the next month as he recovers from an eye injury. Once he’s able to remove the full the full cage, he’ll be putting on a plastic visor for the 1st time in 15 years.

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Botta answers questions on Preds and Canucks … Koivu and Lehtonen hope to return next week … Vanek leaves game … Neuvirth to start

  • Chris Botta of the New York Times: Answering readers questions. As long as the Predators are in the playoff race, Botta doesn’t see them trading Ryan Suter or Shea Weber. After signing Pekka Rinne, Suter is next on their list, and Poile will try hard to re-sign him. The Canucks won’t trade Roberto Luongo. His long-term contract turns teams off. It’s possible that in a few years something could happen. The Canucks may be looking for blueline help, but the salary cap may come into play. If Botta were Mike Gillis and were taking offers for Cory Schneider, he would ask for a mid 1st round pick and a 20 minute a game defenseman in his prime.
  • Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune: Wild center Mikko Koivu missed his 4th straight game with a leg injury, but there is hope that he’ll be ready for Monday’s game against the Avalanche.
  • Mike Heika via twitter: Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen could be back for their Dec. 29th game against the Blue Jackets. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Stars Stephane Robidas will miss his 2nd consecutive game tonight with a foot injury. He took shot off the foot in Tuesday’s practice. Defenseman Philip Larsen has a thigh contusion, has missed the last 2 games, but they’ll decide at the morning skate if he’ll be able to go.
  • Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun: Sabres winger Thomas Vanek left last night’s game after re-aggravating an upper-body injury. Vanek originally suffered the injury on Saturday and is listed as day-to-day.
  • David Pagnotta via twitter: Pagnotta doesn’t think the Canadiens will replace GM Pierre Gauthier until the summer. After the coaching change and losing 4 straight games, the roster needs a major change.

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Waters says Leafs trading for Staal, but Rutherford not interested in trading him … Injury notes on Skinner, Pitkanen, Pronger, Schenn, Leino and Green

  • Chemmy of Pension Plan Puppets: XM radio personality, Bill Waters (formerly on AM 640 in Toronto), claimed yesterday that the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes had a trade in place involving Eric Staal, but the deal is on hold because of Brian Burke’s Christmas roster freeze (10 days before the NHL roster freeze). Waters claims the deal will be complete after the roster freeze. Bob McKenzie via twitter: Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford: “I have no interest whatsoever in trading Eric Staal or Cam Ward. That’s not going to happen.”
  • Allen Walsh via twitter: Walsh spoke with an NHLer that currently has a concussion, who said that one of the reasons there are so many players with concussions is that they are now being diagnosed. Several years ago players would play with concussions, as they didn’t know what they were. Players would play with headaches and dizziness.
  • Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly: Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger met with neurologists yesterday. No update on his status was given, but one should be coming today.
  • Tim Pacanccio of CSNPhilly: Flyers forward Brayden Schenn was wearing a no contact jersey yesterday at practice. It was his first full practice since suffering a concussion on Dec. 3rd. He said he’s making progress and feeling better, but still suffers relapses. Schenn is still in a walking boot from his fractured foot when not in skates.

    “The test is exercise and if [symptoms] come back, you have to take a step back,” he said. “You hope to keep progressing. When I’m out there I feel good. I can’t really tell until later when I’m laying in bed.”

  • Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News: Harrington speculates that Ville Leino’s lower-body injury is some sort of knee or foot injury. He’ll be out several weeks. Also out for the Sabres are: Patrick Kaleta (may play Friday), Tyler Myers, Brad Boyes, Nathan Gerbe, Jochen Hecht and Corey Tropp.
  • Katie Carrera of the Washington Post: Capitals defenseman Mike Green is expected to join the Capitals in Colorado later this week.

    “It’s longer than we expected, unfortunately, but it was a significant injury,” McPhee said in a one-on-one interview with The Post. “It’s a groin injury and those things, they’re hard to heal quickly and know when – you just don’t know when you’re going to be ready.”

  • Katie Carrera of the Washington Post: Capitals Jay Beagle and Matt Hendricks will travel with the team. Beagle still hasn’t been cleared for contact yet after suffering a concussion on Oct. 13th. Hendricks is still day-to-day with a knee injury, but is getting close. Yesterday’s lines at practice: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin, Brouwer-Johansson-Halpern, Chimera-Laich-Ward, Eakin/Hendricks-Perreault-Knuble.
  • Jason Botchford via twitter: Cory Schneider will start for the Canucks against the Hurricanes. Roberto Luongo will start against the Maple Leafs.

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Wings could look at Ruutu … Stars called about Iginla … Luongo dangled … Brassard getting interest … NHL realignment option

  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: The Red Wings will look to add a veteran forward by the trade deadline, and don’t be surprised if they go after Tuomo Ruutu. The Stars have asked the Flames about Jarome Iginla but were told he’s not available. The Canucks may still look to acquire Kyle Turris. Expect the Flames to call the Senators about Filip Kuba since Mark Giordano is out for an extended period. The Rangers, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs and Flyers all looked into adding Bobby Ryan. The Ducks wanted a high-end young guy that’s already in the NHL, a top prospect and a 1st round pick. Talk is the Canucks dangled Roberto Luongo around the league but haven’t found anyone interested in his $5.3 million cap hit until 2021-22. Cory Schneider will traded at some point. Blue Jackets forward Derick Brassard is getting interest from the Kings, Senators, Canadiens, Coyotes, Panthers, Lightning and Rangers.
  • Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald: Flames defenseman Cory Sarich denies that the made a trade request:

    “We discussed a wide variety of topics,” Sarich said. “It was initiated by me, because I just wanted to be open and honest with him. I really wanted to express to him that I want to contribute to this team. I want to be part of this team.“I definitely did not demand to be traded,” he said. “As long as I’m in Calgary, I want to be here. I want to contribute…

  • Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: Simmons thinks it would be foolish for the Maple Leafs to sign Ron Wilson to contract extension until after the season. Simmons notes if the Leafs make the playoffs he gets an extension, if he doesn’t, he’s gone.
  • HNIC Hotstove video link: One realignment options is 4 conferences.
    Kings
    Red Wings
    Canadiens
    Flyers
    Ducks
    Blackhawks
    Maple Leafs
    Penguins
    Sharks
    Blues
    Senators
    Rangers
    Canucks
    Wild
    Bruins
    Islanders
    Flames
    Predators
    Sabres
    Devils
    Oilers
    Blue Jackets
    Panthers
    Capitals
    Avalanche
    Jets
    Lightning
    Hurricanes
    Coyotes
    Stars

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Turris to make season debut … No timetable on Green … Giordano to IR … Rutherford talks Kaberle … Miller close … Schneider to start

  • TSN: Kyle Turris is expected to make his season debut with the Coyotes tonight against the Jets.
  • Katie Carrera of the Washington Post: Capitals defenseman Mike Green has skated 4 of the last 5 days, but there is still no timetable on his return. He’s missed 9 straight games with a strained groin muscle.

    “I’d like to be back tomorrow but that’s not going to happen,” Green said. “It’s just kind of a day-to-day thing, there’s no set schedule. It’s just me getting back into shape and making sure that I’m 100 percent healthy if not 90 percent at least.

    “As far as game shape with being explosive,” Green added, “I still have some strengthening to do, who knows how long that will take.”

  • Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald: Flames defenseman Mark Giordano was put on the IR and will be out at least 7 days. He suffered a hamstring injury after blocking a shot on Tuesday.
  • Josh Rimer via twitter: Jim Rutherford: “Tomas Kaberle better pick up his game or he won’t be in Carolina Long!”
  • Gord Stellick via twitter: If Brian Burke was hired by the Maple Leafs 6 months earlier, his choice for head coach would have been Joel Quenneville rather than Ron Wilson.
  • Mike Harrington via twitter: Sabres goalie Ryan Miller hasn’t been ruled out for this weekend by Lindy Ruff. Tyler Ennis may play on Friday. Jordan Leopold is out for the weekend, but could play next week.
  • Ben Kuzma via twitter: Canucks Mason Raymond is ready to return. He’s skating with Cody Hodgson and Jannik Hansen. Manny Malhotra to the 4th line.

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The Canucks goalie situation … On waivers today … Hedman to get extension … Perron close … Injury updates … Starting goalies

  • Pierre LeBrunn and Scott Burnside of ESPN: Canucks goalie Cory Schneider trade value continues to rise, but the question is, should they trade him? Burnside would be shocked if they moved him this season,  if at all. LeBrun says that through his talks with Canucks management, they still believe in Roberto Luongo. LeBrun would wait until the off-season before deciding how to handle the goaltending future. Burnside wonders what market their would be for Luongo. He mentions a Luongo-Lecavalier possibility. LeBrun shoots down Lecavalier and the Canucks with “You’re on crack” if you think they’d touch his contract.
  • Bob McKenzie via twitter: The Flames put Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond on waivers. The Rangers put Andre Deveaux on waivers. Devils Brad Mills and Avs Joakim Lindstrom clear waivers.
  • Ian Mendes via twitter: Senators forward Nikita Filatov’s nose isn’t complete broken, x-ray revealed a fracture. Filatov says he should be able to go tomorrow against the Stars. He didn’t return last night because he had a headache/dizziness from the hit.
  • Ian Mendes via twitter: Senators forward Chris Neal (sprained ankle) said he could play tomorrow, but the Sens may be cautious with him.
  • Jonas Siegel via twitter: Lines at Leafs practice: Lupul-Bozak-Kessel. MacArthur-Connolly-Kulemin. Crabb-Colborne-Frattin. Rosehill-Grabovski-Dupuis. Steckel.
  • Rich Chere via twitter: NJ Devils lines: Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk; Sykora-Elias-Zubrus; Tedenby-Carter-Clarkson; Boulton-Sestito-Janssen.
  • Tom Gulitti via twitter: Martin Brodeur will start in net for the Devils against Semyon Varlamov and the Avalanche.

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Hall out 2-4 weeks … Rask likely staying, Bruins could explore Krejci’s value … Ducks shopping Ryan … Gauthier scouting LA-SJ … injury updates

  • Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal: Taylor Hall will be out 2 to 4 weeks with a left shoulder injury.

    “I thought I was going to be out for a shorter period of time,” he said, “but two to four weeks isn’t bad. It’s not like I’m missing a huge chunk of games, where it would take me three to four games to really get back into the swing of things.

    “I want to get back as quick as I can, obviously. I just have to try and rehab it as quick as possible .. make it as strong as possible.”

  • Elliotte Friedman of CBC.ca: Other coaching situations to watch are in Calgary, Anaheim and Colorado. Eric Francis reported over the weekend that there won’t any changes in Calgary. The Ducks budget is stretched, which may may be evident in them passing up on Blake Comeau and his pro-rated $2.5 million salary. Flames GM Jay Feaster on Jarome Iginla: “He is part of the solution…We are not trading him.” The Wild and Predators made claims on Comeau, who the Flames ended up getting. The Islanders didn’t want to take on any salary in a Comeau trade, so they put him on waivers.
  • James Murphy of ESPN: Murphy doesn’t think the Bruins are considering trading Tuukka Rask now or in the near future. He is their future starting goalie. David Krejci will be a UFA at seasons end, but he may not able to expect “big money.” Murphy thinks that if Krejci continues to be average, they could explore what his trade value is, though he doesn’t think they’ll give up on him yet. Murphy doesn’t know if the Bruins have held contract talks with Chris Kelly.
  • Eric Stephens of the OC Register: Ducks Bobby Ryan found himself practicing with the 3rd line yesterday along with Ben Maxwell and Niklas Hagman. Matt Beleskey was on the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Ducks backup Dan Ellis had an ultrasound yesterday on his groin injury.
  • Luke DeCock: Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford acknowledged that their budget woes cost them the ability to get/keep veteran leadership. He mentioned Eric Cole and Ray Whitney.
  • Dennis Bernstein via twitter: Even with the possible return of Penner on Thursday, Terry Murray’s comments sounded like Dustin Brown could see more time at left wing.
  • Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press: Jets defensemen Tobias Enstrom and Randy Jones are back skating. Enstrom is expected to be out until after Christmas. Jones could be 8 or 9 days away. Brett Festerling and Derek Meech are out indefinitely. Ron Hainsey hasn’t been able to go since last Wednesday.
  • Ben Kuzma via twitter: With Cory Schneider starting for the Canucks tonight, it makes a strong statement that he could be the number 1 goalie in Vancouver.

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