Posts Tagged Pierre Gauthier

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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Kane’s agent denies trade demand … Doughty says he’s ready … Couturier could stick … Connolly ready … Lehtonen-Quick battle

  • Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press: There was a rumor going around that Evander Kane had demanded a trade from the Jets.

    “I’ve spoken with Evander and this is completely untrue,” said agent Craig Oster. “Neither he nor us have talked about a trade. Evander is very excited to be in Winnipeg and about his future with Winnipeg.”

  • Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider: Drew Doughty’s status for (tonight’s) game is still up in the air. If he doesn’t go, he’ll be returning soon. After Doughty took part in practice Terry Murray said, “I’ve got to talk to our medical staff and just get everything sorted out.’’ Doughty added:

    “I was cleared to practice with the team and cleared to get some contact in practice. I feel really good. I feel ready to play and almost back to normal. Now it’s just kind of in the hands of the training staff and the coaching staff to put me in.”

    “I hope so. I really want to play tomorrow, really badly. It sucks being out, obviously, but like I said I’m ready to play but at the same time, it’s really just in the training staff’s hands.”

  • Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News: Flyers 2011 1st round pick Sean Couturier could stick in the NHL this season due to his defensive instincts and awareness on the PK. As of yesterday, Courturier still hasn’t heard if he’ll remain with the team or be sent back to junior.

    “He came in touted as a smart player defensively, someone who is as good in the defensive zone as he is in the offensive zone,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “We’ve put him in situations, 5-on-4, 5-on-3, against top players, to see how he’d respond, and he’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do and do it well. He’s been a nice addition.”

  • Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen: Scanlan thinks that Mika Zibanejad contract may have been a big factor in the Senators sending him back to Sweden. If he played one more game his contract of $1.775,000 would have kicked in, and he’d be one year closer to free agency. “We think, for the long term development … this is the right step for him at this moment,” Murray said. “This is the best thing for him.”
  • Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun: Though Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson wouldn’t make it official, Tim Connolly looks to be ready to make his Leafs debut tonight.

    “They are really clicking right now and playing extremely well together,” Connolly said of Kessel and Lupul. “I’m just going to try to stay out of their way. Get them the puck as much as possible and just try do all the little things right.”

    Goalie James Reimer is ready to return as well. Burke needs to make one roster move before the game as they are one player over the limit.

  • Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Stars coach Glen Gulutzan moved Adam Burish up to Mike Ribeiro’s top line in the 3rd period of their last game, but it appears that Michael Ryder will be back in his regular spot for tonight’s game. It’s looking like a Kari Lehtonen versus Jonathan Quick battle between the pipes.

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Cooke’s hit a ‘shoulder to the head’ according to Colin Campbell … GMs talking Headshots in Florida … Injury Updates

  • James Murphy of NESN: The NHL’s chief disciplinarian Colin Campbell has said that Matt Cooke’s hit on Marc Savard was a shoulder to the head, rather than an elbow to the head. Campbell and about 7 others watched the hit for an hour and a half. Savard suffered a grade 2 concussion. A shoulder to the head may be a lesser suspension than an elbow to the head. Cooke is a repeat offender, so his punishment might be a little stiffer.
  • Elliotte Friedman of CBCSports: GM’s are taking another serious look at headshots at their GM meetings in Florida. Some factors Friedman thinks the GMs must address; ‘Make the penalties harsh’, ‘ease up on the self-interest’, ‘soften the equipment’, ‘make the victims more aware’, ‘be flexible’, and ‘eliminate the instigator rule’. Some of Friedman’s ’30 Thoughts’ below:
    • Some Canadian-based GMs think Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier jacked up the price of rentals when he gave up a 2nd round pick for Dominic Moore. I’d have to agree with them, I don’t know what Gauthier was thinking.
    • Other teams may not be pleased with Darryl Sutter giving Matt Stajan 4 years and $14 million. I agree with this as well, I was  (and am still) shaking my head over this one. $3.5 million for a 3rd line center? But I guess for now he’s the #1 center in Calgary.
    • Dan Hamhuis wasn’t dealt at the deadline as nobody wanted to give up a 1st rounder for the UFA.
    • Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli may not have wanted to give up a high draft pick or top prospect to acquire a scorer at the deadline, as he may not think they are legitamate contenders.
    • 2 teams (at least one) would have taken Cristobal Huet from the Blackhawks for a 1st rounder and an established player.
    • Some GMs believe now that the Canucks will hold on to Cody Hodgson.
    • Brian Burke has said it’s more likely that Tomas Kaberle is signed to an extension, rather than being traded.
    • Raffi Torres may want to return home to Toronto next year, but will Burke want him?
    • One of the reason’s Alexei Ponikarovsky was traded was that he asked for a 4 year contract extension.
  • Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Evander Kane of the Atlanta Thrashers will have a CT Scan on his left foot today. Kane blocked a shot on Saturday, and didn’t return after it happened.
  • John Glennon of the Tennessean: Newly acquired Dman Denis Grebeshkov will be out of the Predators lineup for 1-2 weeks with a lower-body injury. Shea Weber is doubtful for tonight’s game. Dan Ellis will start for the Preds.
  • The Ottawa Citizen: The Ottawa Senators have signed the 23-year-old Brian Lee to a 2 year contract extension. Lee was drafted 9th overall in 2005, but hasn’t really lived up to expectations yet.
  • Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald: Tuukka Rask was back on the ice for a 2nd day with several Bruins,e h aggravated an old right knee injury last week.
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