C.M.'s hockey blog

Let's talk about fighting in hockey for a minute.

In the wake of the death of three NHL "tough guys" (I put that in quotes because I think it's typecasting as a lot of guys with that title can actually play the game), there are a lot of people talking right now about the effects fighting and all the rough stuff these guys go through on a regular basis and how these players' deaths are linked to that.

Let me say this: It's far, far too soon to get into that. Nobody really knows the circumstances behind the deaths of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak, and I can assure you they're not the same. All three situations are unique and shouldn't be lumped together. I'm not going to get into the details of the players' deaths, aside from saying that they're gone too soon. I'm not going to speculate and jump to conclusions. As Mathieu Schneider said, "it's irresponsible, it's hurtful and it's inconsiderate to [their] family." Rest in peace, guys.

With that said, let's talk about fighting in hockey.

I wrote a blog about this maybe a year and a half or so ago, following the tragic events that led to the tragic death of Don Sanderson and in the wake of the tragedies this summer, my stance on fighting has not changed.

I realize that this may just be rambling and may not have any real point one way or the other, but more than anything else, I just needed to vent. So I wrote this. 

Being a former hockey player myself, I feel like there hasn't been enough of a player's standpoint in the articles and blogs, etc. that are popping up, seemingly in backlash to the fighting and rough stuff in hockey as a sport (not just the National Hockey League). In the aforementioned articles, there's a lot of talk about how players don't actually enjoy fighting, some actually dread it. I can understand that. As a player, I played with a few kids that did NOT enjoy fighting. They still did that because that's what they were asked to do. I know from experience that that's a lot to ask of a young man, especially a young man who so desperately wants to continue playing hockey that they're willing to do something they don't enjoy.

Now, I'm going to go ahead and say that I've also encountered quite a few guys, myself included, that actually enjoyed getting into scraps. I can't speak from an "enforcer" point of view because I was never asked to fill that role (I was never that big of a guy and coaches never expected me to fight), but I can say that I did my fair share of knuckle chucking. In fact, during my career as a hockey player, I actually got suspended for fighting too much.

It's impossible to say that fighting causes emotional damage to all the players that do it. Again, speaking from experience, fighting when I played was, if anything, helpful for me. Now I'm a unique case because I went through a lot as a kid and I had a lot of emotions that (contact) sports really helped me work out, fighting especially. That aside, I find it hard to believe that fighting in hockey is all bad. If that were the case, why are people still boxing? Why is there still mixed martial arts on the television? Surely if nobody enjoyed fighting, and it caused emotional trauma to everyone that did it, this wouldn't be the first we were hearing about it and we would have put a stop to it a long time ago.

The question we have to ask ourselves is whether it's the actual fighting or the weight of the expectations placed upon these fighters to do what they do. Expecting, asking a guy to go out and throw punches at someone (and in return, have punches thrown back at you) just because is understandably daunting. I think, if there is a problem, that's it: the expectation that you're going to fight, that you have to fight. It's too much, especially if you don't enjoy that aspect of the game.

Now, I'm not saying management shouldn't pressure players to fulfill their role. If they did that, nobody would feel (any more) motivated to compete out on the ice. That's not good for anybody.

But we need to stop telling these guys that they have to fight each other to earn a living. Frankly, if you don't want to do it, you shouldn't do it. But that's hard for some guys to do because they know if they don't fight, they'll be sent back to the minor leagues. 

We have to draw a line somewhere. But the problem is that we don't know where. We don't want to completely remove fighting from the game because it's not only part of what makes hockey unique from other sports, it also plays a very large part of the passion in the game. So what do we need to do?

I'm going to make a suggestion. I don't know if it will help, I don't know if it's a great suggestion, but it is a suggestion for those people like me that enjoy fighting (both as a fan and as a player) and want to keep that same passion in the game. Get rid of the the "staged" fights. They serve no purpose. You don't need to ask your "tough guy" to go out there and fight somebody just because they're there. A good amount of the time, they don't have much of an effect on the momentum in the game, either.It shouldn't work that way. Plays should only be fighting if they want / feel inclined to do so. 
If somebody takes a cheap shot at one of your teammates at it gets you hot under the collar, take them on. If somebody gives you anything more than you feel they should, stand up for yourself and drop your mits. But only if you feel that it's necessary. As a player and as a person, you should be allowed to do what you think is right and you (for the most part) shouldn't be punished for doing (or not doing) something about it (such as being benched or sent down to the minors because you didn't punch somebody in the face).

T-Minus 2 Days Till Draft Day.

Let's see...

No shortage of back pain. Had an MRI yesterday to see what's going on with my back. I'm really hoping I don't have to have back surgery. Because that would suck.

There's been no shortage of hockey rumors either, though, so I guess I better quit babbling, huh?

-As I said in my last blog, Steven Stamkos isn't going anywhere.
In fact, new developments yesterday and today have people thinking he'll be signed by July 1st, if not by the Draft.
(Told you so.)

-There seems to be a lot of teams jockeying for position in the draft order. I've heard Edmonton would be willing to move down from #1 if the deal's right (thought to be a mid-range first rounder or better and a roster player / prospect). I've heard they'd also be willing to make a move to get another pick in the top ten if the moons line up.
The more people I talk to about it, the more it sounds like the Oilers want to take Adam Larsson, who could fall down to #3 or #4, if not further. 

The Senators (#6) are trying to move up.

The Panthers (#3) are trying to stockpile assets. They've been linked to both Edmonton and Ottawa. Doesn't sound like they want to move the #3 pick, though.

Dallas (#14) sounds like they want to move down. Minnesota has reportedly had talks with them about their pick. Leafs are supposed to be interested, too.

Heard the Devils (#4) could be willing to move their pick, but I personally doubt it. Though they have been talking to the Wild about Brent Burns and if things heat up there, the pick could be involved.

Lots of chatter about Columbus (#8) trying to get something done, but unless it's a dynamite puck moving defenseman or a top flight center to play with Rick Nash, I'd expect them to keep that pick.
Word has it that jackets GM Scott Howson is willing to listen to any offers involving anybody but Rick Nash. 

-Word's mum on what Edmonton plans to do with Sheldon Souray. Their previous attempts at trading him have proven futile and though they've got the owner who's willing to do so, they really don't want to pay him that kind of money to play in the minors for another year. Chances look to be pretty high for him being bought out.
Although there have been smidgets (I think I may have just made up a word?) of interest from both New Jersey and Anaheim. Food for thought, I suppose. 

-Heard a rumor today that the Lightning are shopping Ryan Malone. Couldn't dig up much on that, but was told if anybody was interested, it'd be Montreal.
Between Malone's No Move Clause, his contract / cap hit and the cap space the Lightning have, though, such a move doesn't make sense to me unless Malone's unhappy. And if he is, he's been pretty good at hiding it.

-Somebody told me today that the emergence of John Carlson and a healthy Dennis Wideman could end up making Mike Green expendable in D.C.
I couldn't do much else but shrug at that. Doesn't make sense to me if it's true, but that doesn't mean it's not, I suppose.

-Both Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle could return to the Bruins next season if they're willing to take (significantly) less money on short-term deals.

Sticking with the Bruins for a second, I heard a goofy rumor that they're going to try and make a run at Zach Parise. Think of that what you will.

-Sounds like the Canucks are going to try and move Keith Ballard at the Draft. For whatever reason, he's just not Alain Vigneault's kind of player.
Teams with low cap space and a lack of veteran presence (like Florida) may be willing to take on his contract if they can get a pick or two out of the deal.

-Hearing some Jay Bouwmeester rumors last night and into today. Don't know much about it, but the price would be high and Bouwmeester has an NTC.

-I haven't heard anything new regarding Ryan Smyth or Brad Richards.

-The Sharks won't be bringing back Ben Eager for 2011-12. Sounds like they're going to let Ian White walk, also.

-Columbus will let veterans Chris Clark, Craig Rivet and Ethan Moreau walk via unrestricted free agency on July 1st. It remains unclear if the Blue Jackets will have a chance at retaining Scottie Upshall.

-The Oilers supposedly have "significant interest" in Zenon Konopka.

I'll try and update more frequently leading up to the Draft.

Follow me on Twitter @CMHockey  and you won't have to wait for me to blog for you to hear about stuff.

Late Night Update: More Pre-Draft Rumors

Too tired to really type anything witty. Between the pain of having a pinched nerve in my back and the frustration of not being able to sleep because of it, I'm just going to jump right into some of the things I've been hearing lately that I didn't mention in my last blog.

-The Minnesota Wild are listening to offers for Brent Burns. Doesn't sound like they're trying to trade him (to me, at least), but they are listening. New Jersey is apparently pushing hard for Burns's services.
I meant to include this in the last blog, but apparently forgot about it.

Cam Barker is also available.

-According to those in the L.A. press (and elsewhere, to an extent), Kings winger Ryan Smyth has told Kings management that he'd prefer to play in Edmonton this year.
Now, the details are a little murky on this because nobody's really sure what was said. Smyth didn't exactly request a trade to the Oilers full on, but he's obviously wanting to return to Edmonton and that makes you wonder when such a situation goes from a polite suggestion and into a distraction.
There are other problems to deal with here, though. Smyth has one year left on his current contract that will pay him $4.25 million (at a cap hit of $6.25 million) and was one of L.A.'s more productive forwards last season, scoring 47 points. Combine his cap hit with his output (which is hard to gauge, considering the leadership and other off-ice qualities Smyth also brings to the table) and there might not be much of a market to bring him back to Edmonton.
Also, Edmonton isn't exactly looking to give up any of their younger players unless L.A.'s willing to "sweeten the deal" somehow or another. The only real way to do such a thing would be to include a young prospect or their second (Edmonton already has L.A.'s first) round pick this year. 
And while I've heard that there have been talks about Smyth between the two clubs, it doesn't sound like they've gotten off the ground.
It will be interesting to see how this situation shapes up, if anything changes.

-Speaking of Edmonton, they're still trying to "move up" in this week's upcoming NHL Entry Draft, despite having the #1 overall pick. And by that I mean that it appears they're trying to deal for another pick in the first round, potentially as high as in the top ten selections. This is where L.A.'s first round pick (#19, which they received in the Dustin Penner trade) comes in to play, I suppose.
But I've also heard they're hoping to not have to move that pick, and instead would be more comfortable moving one of their roster players instead.
Ales Hemsky is the "big fish" when it comes to Edmonton, but I've also heard mentions that players like Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, Ladislav Smid and Tom Gilbert could be available for the right price.

It also sounds like the Oilers will move Zach Stortini at the Draft for a pick. If that doesn't work, they may not make him a qualifying offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent, but that remains to be seen.
Dallas reportedly had interest in acquiring Stortini for a time last season.

-There was a rumor that spilled out yesterday that the Columbus Blue Jackets had acquired Jeff Carter from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Obviously, that didn't happen because if it did, you would have heard much more about it.

I have it on pretty good authority that while Jeff Carter isn't necessarily untouchable, it's highly, highly unlikely that he'll be moved unless Flyers GM Paul Holmgren flat out runs out of options, which doesn't seem likely.

They won't make a move until Ilya Bryzgalov is under contract (which they actually likely won't announce until after the deal, but that's a different story. Kinda).

On a related note, Holmgren said via conference call that he hopes to re-sign UFA winger Ville Leino and possibly acquire a first and / or second round pick for this weekend's Draft. We'll see what happens.

Sources say that Matt Carle, Scott Hartnell and Kris Versteeg are available.

-So on that note, it does sound like Columbus is looking to make a deal. It's hard to tell if they're just trying to bring in some more firepower or if they're still in search of that illusive first line center to play with team captain Rick Nash.

From what I've gathered, they could be willing to move the 8th overall pick for an "impact center" or a puck moving defenseman. I have it on reasonably good authority that they've had talks with both Philadelphia and Edmonton about the pick.

Steve Mason could be available. There are whispers around the league that Jackets GM Scott Howson had talks with the Flyers about him before they went and acquired Bryzgalov's negotiating rights.

Nikita Filatov definitely is available.

-As I posted on Twitter earlier (as a lot of people did), Sharks GM Doug Wilson has stated that Jamal Mayers, Scott Nichol and Niclas Wallin will not be offered contracts for next season, meaning that they'll hit the open market on July 1st.

-It appears as though Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov may be ready to "jump ship." He remains unsigned for next season, and apparently turned down the Caps' previous offer. There is interest in his services overseas, but Varlamov says he'd prefer to play in the NHL.

-In what could be related news, the Phoenix Coyotes are looking to acquire a young goaltender.

Though I have heard some meanderings that the Yotes have talked to the Islanders about Nabokov's rights.

-Leafs GM Brian Burke is also trying to move up in the Draft order. To quote him, "Lots of lines in the water right now, but no bites."
The Leafs currently hold the 25th (via Philadelphia) and the 30th (via Boston) picks in the first round.

-Kris Draper is waiting to see if the Red Wings want him back for another season. It's commonly thought that if the Red Wings don't offer him a contract, or he doesn't make the team out of training camp, he'll retire.

The Red Wings are also apparently looking at dealing the likes of Jiri Hudler and / or Valtteri Filppula in hopes of filling the void on the blueline left by Brian Rafalski's retirement. 

-If there is a "race" for Jaromir Jagr's services, it appears that the Montreal Canadiens have fallen out of it.

-The Colorado Avalanche likely won't move the second overall pick in this year's draft, but the 11th overall pick (acquired in the Chris Stewart / Erik Johnson trade) is apparently up for grabs at the right price.
I've heard the Avs would like to use that pick to acquire a goaltender, but could very well make the selection there as well. Cory Schneider, Jonathan Bernier and Tuukka Rask are the names I've heard mentioned there.

Sticking with Colorado, there's this silly rumor out there that Paul Stastny is available. As far as I know, that isn't the case. Unless somebody blows the socks right off of Greg Sherman's feet, that is.

It sounds as if the Avalanche will pounce on either winger Gabriel Landeskog or center (and Memorial Cup MVP) Jonathan Huberdeau at #2.

-The Devils are looking to move some salary. Brian Rolston and Danius Zubrus are players whose names come to mind.

-The Senators are also interested in moving up in the draft order, but likely aren't willing to give up what the teams ahead of them want for the pick(s).

-Despite the relatively "shallow" pool of free agent talent this season, lots of interest remains in the defensemen that will hit the market on July 1st.

Columbus, Detroit, Vancouver, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Carolina and New Jersey all reportledy have varying amounts of interest in Kevin Bieksa, Christian Ehrhoff, Tomas Kaberle, Eric Brewer, Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski.

-There's talk about an offer sheet being on the way to Steven Stamkos, assuming he remains unsigned by July 1st.

And there's some talk that he may even be traded to Toronto.

Let me squash that right now, IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

It's not what Steve Yzerman really wants to do, but if Stamkos gets an offer sheet, he'll match it. He'd rather set the parameters of the deal himself, but will gladly match another offer to keep Stamkos in Tampa Bay. End of story.

Yeah. Going back to lie down now.

Gauging Pre-Draft Rumors

Hello all,

I apparently have a pinched nerve in my back. That's not really news, but I feel kinda miserable and was gonna vent about it regardless.

Anyway. There have been no shortage of rumors since my last rumor update (pre Deadline Day), and now that the Draft is just around the corner, the time when big time deals will start happening again is getting closer by the day.

Technically speaking, teams are allowed to talk to each other and make trades right now, but the pre-Draft blockbusters (or anything of the sort, really) don't usually happen until the day before the Draft. Sometimes, but only very rarely in my experience, the day before that.

Until that time frame hits, it's likely the only trades you'll see are ones like what went down a few days ago:
For those of you who missed it, the Minnesota Wild acquired David McIntyre from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Maxim Noreau.

Now, if you didn't hear about this, it's probably because they're both career minor league players and likely won't impact an NHL roster any time soon and thus, nobody but those around Mr. McIntyre and Mr. Noreau really cares (sorry guys).

The trade for Ilya Bryzgalov's negotiating rights this early are much, much more rare. If any of you reading this are saying "What?! The Coyotes traded Bryzgalov's negotiating rights?!" you've obviously been living under a rock for a spell.

That's part of what makes rumor mongering so fun. You're always waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Anyway, here are some of the many things I've been hearing for the past few months since my last rumor update:

-First off, anything you hear about the Canucks looking to trade Roberto Luongo is, at this point, completely fabricated.
And if you don't understand, let me tell you why it's so very unlikely that he'll be moved: 1) Luongo has a full-on No Trade Clause, meaning that even if the Canucks worked out a deal to send him elsewhere, he gets the chance to shoot it down, which is likely because 2) Luongo has said numerous times, for whatever reason, that he wants to stay in Vancouver and win a Stanley Cup there. 3) Luongo is signed through 2022, with an average cap hit of $5.333 million. Great goalie or not, that's not exactly a contract many GMs would line up to trade for.
But still, the rumors persist. I heard some goofy rumor about the Canucks dealing Luongo to the Capitals for Alex Semin yesterday. I actually laughed.
Now, that doesn't mean that it can't be done. But when you look at the logistics of the whole thing, you see just how tall of an order it would be to move Luongo, even if both parties wanted it to happen.

-The other big situation going on right now is whether or not the Flyers will be able to sign Ilya Bryzgalov before he hits the open market on July 1st. And if they do, what they'll do to wiggle their way under the salary cap ceiling to remain cap compliant. 
The word is that Bryzgalov wants at least a five year deal worth about $28 million, which averages out to about a $5.6 million a year if my math is correct. Now, that's kind of a tall order, but it can certainly be done.
The main focus is who will be moved to make room for Bryzgalov's new contract, if and when he is signed.
Bryzgalov and his agent met with the Flyers the day before yesterday and from what I hear, everybody's pretty optimistic that a deal will get done.
So let's turn our focus on who the Flyers might move:
The consensus among people like myself is that the Flyers will be moving somebody like Matt Carle, Scott Hartnell (NTC) or Kris Versteeg. Also being discussed, albeit to a much lesser amount are Danny Briere (NMC) and Braydon Coburn (the former much less than the latterfor obvious reasons). And of course, there is then Jeff Carter.
Jeff Carter's contract (signed through 2022 at a cap hit of $5.27 million) and his NTC make him very hard to move. According to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, though, Carter's not on the table.
So that, really, leaves Matt Carle, Kris Versteeg and maybe Braydon Coburn, if you subtract the players with No Trade / No Movement clauses out of the equation.
So let's think about this: The Flyers acquired Kris Versteeg from the Maple Leafs for a first and a third round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. After giving up that much for him, I (among others) have a hard time believing the Flyers would be willing to give up on him so quickly. That is, unless they can get back the same amount for him that they gave up, which after the playoffs he had, seems rather unreasonable. Combine that with the fact that the Flyers can't afford to take salary back and you've got to think that the guy they're trying to move has to be one of either Matt Carle or Braydon Coburn. Or it could be somebody nobody's talking about, which is possible, but that's another story.
Both players have one year left on their current deal. Carle at $3.43 million and Coburn at $3.2 million. Obviously, the knee jerk reaction would be that since Carle makes more money, he'd be the guy. But hold on a second. The Flyers currently sit about $430,000 below the current salary cap. Now, assuming the cap rises, as has been speculated, to around $62 million, that would give the Flyers, roughly, another $2.5 - 3 million to work with. Which would give them enough room to be under the cap, by my calculations, but only be a small amount. Which makes me think the Flyers will make more than one deal to get under the cap. So what one guy is going where seems to be kind of a moot point right now when you consider...
That Dan Carcillo, Andreas Nodl and Darrol Powe are all RFAs without contracts for next season. Now, none of those guys should be all that expensive to lock up for, at the very least, next season. But when you look at it, you'd be looking at an average of $1 million per player, which throws that extra $3 million or so dollars gained from the cap increase right out the window if the Flyers manage to sign them all.
SO, that brings us to the conclusion that the Flyers will either then have to trade or buyout somebody other than the current players being discussed and / or trade / let go of the negotiating rights of any, if not all of, Carcillo, Nodl and Powe. Demotions to the AHL are also an option, as always, but then they'd be risking losing those players to other clubs for nothing. Which, let's be honest, is something no GM really wants to do.

Now, the actual rumors I've been hearing in regard to this situation:
1) The Flyers deal Jeff Carter and a low pick to the Blue Jackets for the Jackets' 1st round pick, possibly their 2nd round pick as well, and possibly a prospect.
I've also heard variations on this rumor that include Jakub Voracek, but like I said, the Flyers can't really afford to take money back in any of these deals unless they want to be far more creative than they really need to be. It is possible, though.

2) The Flyers deal Sergei Bobrovsky to Phoenix for a pick.
Without Bryzgalov in Phoenix, the Coyotes are in need of a goaltender (obviously) and Phoenix has room to absorb such a contract. The only problem with this, however, is that from everything I've heard, the Coyotes will target one of the UFA goaltenders about to hit the market.

3) There's been significant interest in Scott Hartnell (who, bear in mind, has a NTC) from the Kings and Canadiens and, to a lesser extent, the Hurricanes and Panthers.
All of those teams have some wiggle room under the cap, but I personally doubt Hartnell will be moved.

4) The Kings have also been rumored to be interested in Daniel Carcillo for a while now, too.

5) Jody Shelley has been one of the players targeted as a possible buyout candidate. Buying out the final two years of Shelley's contract (worth $1.1 million on average) would yield a savings of about $850,000.
They could also put him on Waivers and either demote him to the AHL or let any team that wants him take him.

6) Michael Leighton is also one of the players being targeted as a possible candidate for trade / buyout / demotion. Buying out the last year of his contract would create a $1,066,677 savings, but would create a negative cap hit of $533,333 in the following year. Waiving or trading him would take all of his $1.55 million cap hit off the books.

Of course, you never know just what's going to happen with things like this. But it's always fun to speculate.

-The Vancouver Canucks are in danger of losing all three of Kevin Bieksa, Christian Ehrhoff and Sami Salo from their blueline this summer.
While they've all said they'll take less money to stick around in Vancouver, the consensus is that the Canucks will likely only be able to retain one, maybe two, of them.
If it were me, I'd put my money on it being Ehrhoff, Bieksa and then Salo, in that order.
It will be interesting to see what kind of changes the Canucks make following their Game 7 loss to the Bruins.

-There's been some whispers around the league that Jaromir Jagr is once again looking at returning to the NHL. Word has it that his agent has sent out "feelers" to a few NHL teams, including the Penguins, Red Wings, Capitals and Rangers.
Details are pretty vague, though, so I honestly don't know what to think about the whole sitatuation.

-The Detroit Red Wings will no doubt be looking to replace Brian Rafalski's presence on the blueline. But the question many are asking is who will that be?
Well, I've been told that the Red Wings could have interest in any of Andrei Markov, James Wisniewski, Tomas Kaberle and perhaps even Bryan McCabe. All will be UFAs on July 1st.

-Sticking with Detroit, I've also heard it's a possibility that the Red Wings will make an offer to Brooks Laich when he hits the open market, and might even look at bringing Tomas Kopecky back to Motown.

-With Shea Weber and Zach Parise of the Predators and Devils, respectively, both headed to salary arbitration, the door closes on teams making them offer sheets on July 1st. That leaves Preds GM David Poile and Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, breathing sighs of relief. That is, until those players actually hit arbitration (if they get that far) and an arbitrator awards them contracts their GMs were hoping they wouldn't receive. But that's material for another blog by somebody who's more in touch with arbitatration rules and what not.

-Lots has been made about what will happen with Brad Richards. Whether he'll re-sign with the Dallas Stars, if his negotiation rights will be traded prior to him becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, or whether he'll hit the open market straight away.
It seems pretty unlikely his rights will be traded, though, when you think about his No Trade Clause's effect on the situation.

A number of teams are supposedly interested in Richards's services, but it remains unclear just who will step up and make him the offer he wants.
It's been mused that the Rangers, Maple Leafs, Kings and Lightning are among the teams chomping at the bit to get a chance at convincing Richards that their city is the place to go.

-And for those curious, no, I'm told that Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier will NOT to be traded due to salary issues.

-There are talkings about that the Oilers are looking to acquire another top end pick in the first round of this year's draft, possibly by dangling Ales Hemsky.  I'll try and keep you updated on that situation. 

2011 NHL Mock Draft -- Updated Draft Order

Usually I wait until the draft order is certain to post this, but I'm bored (frankly) and I haven't updated in a while, so here is my meager attempt at predicting who's going where in the first round of this year's NHL Entry Draft.

Enjoy.

1. Edmonton Oilers - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Red Deer (WHL)

They got the talented goal-scorer in Taylor Hall last year, now they need a center to play and grow with him.

2. Colorado Avalanche - Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Kitchener (OHL)

Strong down the middle with the likes of Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and last year’s #17 overall pick Joey Hishon on the way, Landeskog has the ability to step into the Avs line-up as early as next season to create room for whichever linemates he ends up playing with.

3. Florida Panthers - Sean Couturier, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Without question one of the best centers in the draft, this big centerman is just what Panthers GM Dale Tallon needs to kickstart his rebuild.

4. New Jersey Devils - Adam Larsson, D, Skelleftea (Sweden)

The top defender in this year’s draft could eventually be the Devils’ best blue liner since Scott Niedermayer.

5. New York Islanders - Dougie Hamilton, D, Niagara (OHL)

Big physical defenseman the next step in the Isles’ rebuild phase.

6. Ottawa Senators - Ryan Strome, C, Niagara (OHL)

Could eventually be the second half of the Senators 1-2 punch down the middle with Jason Spezza.

7. Atlanta Thrashers - Jonathan Huberdeau, C, Saint John (QMJHL)

Thrashers bolster their lineup with scoring down the middle.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets - Ryan Murphy, D, Kitchener (OHL)

Excellent puck moving defenseman, just what the Jackets need.

9. Boston Bruins (via Toronto) -  Nathan Beaulieu, D, Saint John (QMJHL)

Highly skilled blue liner that’s excellent in his own zone. Will be a big asset to the power play down the road.

10. Minnesota Wild - Joel Armia, RW, Assat (Finland)

Good sized forward brings size, speed and skill to the Wild’s forward lines.

11. Colorado Avalanche (via St. Louis) - Duncan Siemens, D, Saskatoon (WHL)

Big, tough defender just what the Avs need on the blueline. Will develop nicely alongside junior defense partner Stefan Elliott.

12. Carolina Hurricanes - Mika Zibanejad, C, Djurgarden (Sweden)

Power forward with soft hands, great vision and speed will work nicely in Paul Maurice’s system. Can also play on the wing.

13. Calgary Flames - Boone Jenner, C, Oshawa (OHL)

Big, skilled center that’s good in all three zones. Something the Flames don’t have a whole lot of.

14. Dallas Stars - Tomas Jurco, RW, Saint John (QMJHL)

Extremely skilled forward brings all kinds of dazzling puck skills to Texas.

15. New York Rangers - Daniel Catenacci, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Talent of a top 10 goal scorer, drawing comparisons to Mike Cammalleri.

16. Buffalo Sabres - Zack Phillips, C, Saint John (QMJHL)

Offensive minded forward has skills in spades.

17. Montreal Canadiens - Brandon Saad, LW, Saginaw (OHL)

Big, skilled forward excellent addition to Montreal’s cabinet of prospects. Scored 27 goals in his first season with the Spirit.

18. Chicago Blackhawks - Phillip Danault, LW, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

Well rounded forward dynamite on the penalty kill. Will compliment other prospects very nicely.

19. Edmonton Oilers (via L.A.) - Jamieson Oleksiak, D, Northeastern (HE)

Big, smart and tough to play against (boasts a 6’7” frame). Exactly the kind of shut down defenseman the Oil need.

20. Phoenix Coyotes - Mark Sceifele, C, Barrie (OHL)

Highly skilled forward will only improve. Could be a hell of a 1,2 punch with Kyle Turris in a few years.

21. Ottawa Senators (via Nashville) - Christopher Gibson, G, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)

Dynamite stats (.920 save percentage, 2.42 goals against average and 4 shutouts) on an otherwise lousy team.

22. Anaheim Ducks - Nicklas Jensen, W, Oshawa (OHL)

Versatile winger comes with great vision, good offensive skill.

23. Pittsburgh Penguins - Joseph Morrow, D, Portland (WHL)

Puck moving defender a diamond in the rough this late in the opening round. Could eventually fill the void left by Alex Goligoski’s departure.

24. Detroit Red Wings - Sven Baertschi, LW, Portland (WHL)

The Red Wings taking a hard working Swede? Who would have guessed?

25. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Philadelphia) - Jonathan Miller, C, USA U-18 (USHL)

Just what the doctor ordered, help down the middle for the Leafs.

26. Washington Capitals - Tyler Biggs, RW, USA U-18 (USHL)

Big, mean power forward will line up nicely alongside Marcus Johansson.

27. Tampa Bay Lightning - Jonas Brodin, D, Farjestad (Sweden)

Skilled Swedish defender will develop well with fellow Swede Victor Hedman.

28. San Jose Sharks - Mark McNeill, C, Prince Albert (WHL)

Big center really impressed at the scouting combine. San Jose would be wise to snag him, if he's still on the board, at #28.

29. Vancouver Canucks - Matt Puempel, LW, Peterborough (OHL)

Lead team in both goals (34) and points (69) despite being limited to only 55 games.

30.. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Boston) - Shane Prince, C, Ottawa (OHL)

Speedy and versatile, Leafs desperate for help down the middle.

Just for fun, you can check out a nice little database of mock drafts at the DC Pro Sports Report.

@CMHockey

2011 Trade Deadline List - UPDATED 2.27.11

In the coming weeks, NHL trade rumors will hit a climax. It always happens around the NHL Trade Deadline. If it didn't, I wouldn't have this job.

In years past, I would be left posting a few blogs FULL of rumors every few days and with my time not being as abundant this year, I will instead only be posting TWO.

One, of course, is the rumors (i.e. the post you're reading right now) and the second is the results after the Deadline passes, where we'll see just how reliable my sources really are. Always fun.

So below I'm going to list ALL the players whose names have come up in rumors recently, even those who I don't expect to be going anywhere. And I'll be updating it every chance I get until the Deadline passes at 3 pm (EST) on February 28th. So keep checking back to get your rumor fix!

Without further adieu...

a

Here is a list of players in demand for this year's Trade Deadline.

I've included their chances of being traded, by my calculations and some teams that are interested.

Bare in mind, however, that just because a player is on this list and I have rated at a 95% doesn't mean they'll actually be traded. As far as percentages go, it's an estimation and I've been wrong before.

On the note of teams, just because I only mention 2 or 3 teams for a player doesn't mean that that's all the interest they have. It's completely common for a team that no one expects to step in and acquire a player that wasn't known to be on their list.

It happened last year, it will happen again this year.

The players are listed by team order (alphabetically).

An asterisk (*) next to a player's name indicates they have a no-trade / no-movement clause of some sort

Teemu Selanne*

Current Team: Anaheim Ducks 

Teams Interested: Pittsburgh, Boston, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Note: As long as the Ducks remain in the Playoff race, Selanne won't be going anywhere anyway. And even if they were to fall out of the Playoff race, it's considered very unlikely he'd waive his NMC. He wants to retire a Duck.

Andy Sutton

Current Team: Anaheim Ducks

Teams Interested: Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Sheldon Brookbank

Current Team: Anaheim Ducks

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Chicago

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Andreas Lilja

Current Team: Anaheim Ducks

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Chicago, Montreal, Detroit

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Andrew Ladd

Current Team: Atlanta Thrashers

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Vancouver, Buffalo, Florida, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Pittsburgh

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Niclas Bergfors

Current Team: Atlanta Thrashers

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Columbus, Toronto

Chances of Being Moved: 40%

Ron Hainsey*

Current Team: Atlanta Thrashers

Teams Interested: Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Zach Bogosian

Current Team: Atlanta Thrashers

Teams Interested: Edmonton, Columbus, New York IslandersColorado, Montreal, Washington, Buffalo, Florida, Dallas, San Jose, New Jersey

Chances of Being Moved: 40%

Note: Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reported that Bogosian is unhappy in Atlanta, hence the significant increase in his chances of being dealt.

Mark Stuart

Current Team: Atlanta Thrashers

Teams Interested: Chicago, Vancouver, Montreal, Minnesota

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Freddy Meyer

Current Team: Atlanta Thrashers

Teams Interested: Phoenix, Washington, Vancouver, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: 25% 

Michael Ryder

Current Team: Boston Bruins

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Los Angeles, Calgary, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Dan Paille

Current Team: Boston Bruins

Teams Interested: Atlanta, Calgary, Edmonton, Florida

Chances of Being Moved: 35%

Tim Connolly

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Columbus, Atlanta, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Nashville

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Thomas Vanek

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Note: You know that if Thomas Vanek were truly available, the list of interested teams would be very, very long. But to this point, the only team I've heard that's actually pursued trying to make a deal for him is the Kings.

Jason Pominville*

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Pittsburgh, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Jochen Hecht

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Nashville, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Drew Stafford

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Atlanta, Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Mike Grier*

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Tampa Bay, Nashville, San Jose, Vancouver,

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Rob Niedermayer

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Steve Montador

Current Team: Buffalo Sabres

Teams Interested: Chicago, Washington

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Jarome Iginla*

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Buffalo, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Note: If you to ask me, I'd say it's never going to happen. 

Niklas Hagman

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Nashville, Toronto, Los Angeles, Dallas

Chances of Being Moved: 40%

Note: Hagman was placed on Waivers today (21st).

Alex Tanguay*

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Colorado

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Curtis Glencross

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Montreal, Vancouver, Nashville, Buffalo, Dallas, Pittsburgh

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Ales Kotalik*

Current Team: Abbotsford Heat (AHL)
Teams Interested: Montreal, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 40% 

Jay Bouwmeester*

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: New Jersey, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: Less Than 5%

Robyn Regehr*

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Montreal, Atlanta, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 5% 

Steve Staios

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Anton Babchuk

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Adam Pardy

Current Team: Calgary Flames

Teams Interested: Chicago, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Erik Cole

Current Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Teams Interested: Philadelphia, Buffalo, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Jussi Jokinen

Current Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Joni Pitkanen

Current Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Teams Interested: Columbus, Tampa Bay, San Jose, Dallas

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Joe Corvo

Current Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Teams Interested: Dallas, Tampa Bay, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Tim Gleason

Current Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Boston, Colorado

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Jay Harrison

Current Team: Carolina Hurricanes

Teams Interested: St. Louis, Vancouver, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Dave Bolland

Current Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Teams Interested: Atlanta, Columbus, Toronto, Buffalo, Ottawa

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Tomas Kopecky

Current Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Detroit, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Viktor Stalberg

Current Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Paul Stastny

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Florida, Los Angeles, Toronto

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Note: I, for one, find it incredibly hard to believe that Paul Stastny could be available. But that doesn't mean it's not true.

Milan Hejduk*

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Vancouver, Pittsburgh

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Note: Avalanche GM Greg Sherman has said Hejduk is not available.

Jay McClement

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Washington, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Cody McLeod

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Nashville, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Ryan O'Reilly

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida, Carolina, Toronto, Nashville, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Detroit

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

T.J. Galiardi

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Detroit, Los Angeles, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Vancouver, Dallas, New York Rangers

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

David Jones

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Los Angeles, New York Islanders

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Brandon Yip

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, St. Louis

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

John-Michael Liles*

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Toronto, Buffalo, Columbus, New Jersey, San Jose, Vancouver, Montreal, Dallas, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 40%

Matt Hunwick

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Dallas, Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Adam Foote*

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Washington, Philadelphia, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Chicago

Chances of Being Moved: Less Than 5%

Note: Sources tell me Foote is NOT available. He wants to retire as an Av.

Ryan O'Byrne

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Detroit, Chicago

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Kyle Cumiskey

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Washington, Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Ryan Wilson

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Dallas, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota, Detroit, Montreal, Buffalo, Ottawa

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Peter Budaj

Current Team: Colorado Avalanche

Teams Interested: Washington, New York Islanders, Detroit, Buffalo, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Kristian Huselius

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, New York Rangers, Phoenix, Montreal, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Antoine Vermette

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Toronto, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Jakub Voracek

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Philadelphia, Montreal, Nashville, Los Angeles, Carolina, Atlanta, Phoenix, Edmonton, Pittsburgh

Chances of Being Moved: 40%

s

Ethan Moreau

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Calgary, Tampa Bay, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Nikita Filatov

Current Team: Springfield Falcons (AHL)

Teams Interested: Pittsburgh, Montreal, Edmonton

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Jan Hejda

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Tampa Bay, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Anton Stralman

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Carolina, Dallas, Buffalo

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Mike Commodore*

Current Team: Syracuse Crunch (AHL)

Teams Interested: Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Note: Due to his high cap hit (3.75 w/ 3 yrs left) and his NTC, it's very unlikely he gets moved.

Rostislav Klesla

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Montreal, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, Nashville, Vancouver, Washington, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Marc Methot

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Mathieu Garon

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: Washington, Detroit, New York Islanders, Buffalo, Anaheim

Chances of Being Moved: 35%

Steve Mason

Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams Interested: New York Islanders, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Toronto, Colorado, Washington, Detroit

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Brad Richards*

Current Team: Dallas Stars

Teams Interested: New York Rangers, Columbus, Toronto, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Note: Barring a COMPLETE and UTTER collapse by the Dallas Stars, Brad Richards isn't going anywhere.

Brian Sutherby

Current Team: Dallas Starss

Teams Interested: St. Louis, Toronto, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Dustin Penner

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Montreal, New York Rangers, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Ottawa, Columbus, Buffalo, Anaheim, Toronto, Carolina, Nashville

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Ales Hemsky

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Montreal, Nashville, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Toronto, Phoenix, Washington, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: 35%

Andrew Cogliano

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Calgary, Toronto, Colorado, Boston, Columbus

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Ryan Jones

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Tampa Bay, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, Minnesota, Washington, Phoenix

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Tom Gilbert

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Montreal, San Jose, Buffalo, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Jim Vandermeer

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Chicago, Carolina, Columbus, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: 35%

Ladislav Smid

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Nashville, Montreal, Carolina, Chicago, New York Rangers, Washington, Ottawa, Florida, Colorado, Boston

Chances of being Moved: 50%

Jason Strudwick

Current Team: Edmonton Oilers

Teams Interested: Montreal, Vancouver, San Jose, Toronto

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Sheldon Souray

Current Team: Hershey Bears (AHL)

Teams Interested: New York Rangers, Columbus, Dallas, Chicago

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Note: Judging from what I've heard from scouts, there isn't mruch interest here. Probably staying in the AHL.

David Booth

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Edmonton, Colorado

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Note: Would be very, very surprised to see him moved.

Rostislav Olesz

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Nashville, Phoenix, New York Rangers

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Note: His chances of being dealt decrease with him going out of the lineup with what looks like a significant knee injury.

Stephen Weiss*

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Montreal, Ottawa, Los Angeles, Toronto, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Washington, Minnesota

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Note: Rumors have it that Weiss could be "warming up" to the idea of waiving his No-Trade Clause.

Steve Bernier

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Carolina, Buffalo, Colorado, Toronto, New York Rangers

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Radek Dvorak

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Montreal, Carolina, Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Chris Higgins

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, ittsburgh

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Note: Hand injury (2-3 weeks) could have an impact on his trade value.

Marty Reasoner

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Phoenix, Vancouver, Minnesota, Calgary, Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 40%

Byron Bitz

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Toronto, Anaheim, Nashville, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Dennis Wideman

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Toronto, Columbus, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Tomas Vokoun*

Current Team: Florida Panthers

Teams Interested: Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Colorado, San Jose

Chances of Being Moved: 35%

Jarret Stoll

Current Team: Los Angeles Kings

Teams Interested: Washington, Toronto

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Justin Williams

Current Team: Los Angeles Kings

Teams Interested: Boston, Colorado, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Wayne Simmonds

Current Team: Los Angeles Kings

Teams Interested: Toronto, Atlanta, Montreal, Florida, Edmonton, Columbus, Colorado

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Brayden Schenn

Current Team: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Teams Interested: Toronto, New York Rangers, Columbus, Nashville, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5% 

Note: From a Dean Lombardi text: "Brayden Schenn is not going anywhere." 

Jonathan Bernier

Current Team: Los Angeles Kings

Teams Interested: Colorado, Ottawa

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Note: Much like Vancouver's Cory Schneider, it's expected that if the Kings are looking to move him at all, it will be at this year's Draft, rather than before what they hope will be a long and prosperous playoff run.

Chuck Kobasew

Current Team: Minnesota Wild

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Andrew Brunette

Current Team: Minnesota Wild

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Washington

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Antti Miettinen

Current Team: Minnesota Wild

Teams Interested: Calgary, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Vancouver

CHances of Being Moved: 20%

John Madden

Current Team: Minnesota Wild

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Brent Burns

Current Team: Minnesota Wild

Teams Interested: Washington, Carolina, Dallas

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Note: Just rumors. If you ask me, he's staying put.

Cam Barker

Current Team: Minnesota Wild

Teams Interested: Atlanta, Carolina, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Scott Gomez*

Current Team: Montreal Canadiens

Teams Interested: Phoenix, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Note: Let's be honest, we'd all be surprised to see anybody take on his contract.

Andrei Kostitsyn

Current Team: Montreal Canadiens

Teams Interested: Carolina, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Edmonton

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Roman Hamrlik*

Current Team: Montreal Canadiens

Teams Interested: ?

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Note: I know he's available, to an extent, but I don't know who's interested.

J.P. Dumont*

Current Team: Montreal Canadiens

Teams Interested: Montreal, Buffalo, Toronto, Los Angeles,

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Patrik Elias*

Current Team: New Jersey Devils

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, ?

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Jason Arnott*

Current Team: New Jersey Devils

Teams Interested: Montreal, Washington, New York Rangers, Buffalo, Dallas, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Brian Rolston*

Current Team: New Jersey Devils

Teams Interested: Minnesota

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Danius Zubrus

Current Team: New Jersey Devils

Teams Interested: Tampa Bay

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Andy Greene

Current Team: New Jersey Devils

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Montreal, Boston, Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Johan Hedberg*

Current Team: New Jersey Devils

Teams Interested: Detroit, New York Islanders

Chances of being Moved: 20%

Zenon Konopka

Current Team: New York Islanders

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Radek Martinek

Current Team: New York Islanders

Teams Interested: Chicago, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, San Jose, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Evgeni Nabokov

Current Team: None (Claimed off Waivers by Islanders)

Teams Interested: Detroit, San Jose

Chances of Being Moved: 45%

Note: The Islanders can't actually trade Nabokov. The only move they can really make with him at this point is to place him back on Waivers.

Marian Gaborik*

Current Team: New York Rangers

Teams Interested: Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Note: Got a surprising update from a source, saying Gaborik may very well be at the top of GM Glen Sather's list of players to move.

Michael Del Zotto

Current Team: New York Rangers

Teams Interested: Ottawa, Edmonton, Dallas, San Jose

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Jason Spezza*

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: Columbus, Washington, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Note: Given Spezza's salary and term left, it's highly unlikely he gets moved. But I keep hearing rumors, albeit strange ones, with him involved. So who knows.

Chris Neil

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Washington

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Nick Foligno

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Ryan Shannon

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: Nashville, St. Louis

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Sergei Gonchar*

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: Columbus, Phoenix

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Note: Known to be available, but not a whole lot of interest in taking on his contract.

Filip Kuba*

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: San Jose, New York Rangers, Dallas

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Chris Campoli

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: Tampa Bay, Carolina, San Jose, Dallas

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Brian Lee

Current Team: Ottawa Senators

Teams Interested: St. Louis, Boston, Montreal

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Nikolay Zherdev

Current Team: Philadelphia Flyers

Teams Interested: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Washington, Pittsburgh

Chances of Being Moved: 90%

Note: A good possibility he jumps back to Russia if he isn't moved. Fallen completely out of favor in Philly.

James van Riemsdyk

Current Team: Philadelphia Flyers

Teams Interested: Toronto, Florida, Columbus, Edmonton

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Daniel Carcillo

Current Team: Philadelphia Flyers

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Anaheim

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Ville Leino

Current Team: Philadalphia Flyers

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Nashville, Los Angeles

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Matt Walker

Current Team: Adirondack Phantoms (AHL)

Teams Interested: ?

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Michael Leighton

Current Team: Adirondack Phantoms (AHL)

Teams Interested: Detroit, New York Islanders

Chances of Being Moved: 40%

Devin Setoguchi

Current Team: San Jose Sharks

Teams Interested: Pittsburgh, Montreal, Toronto, Florida, Edmonton, Colorado

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Jamie McGinn

Current Team: San Jose Sharksa

Teams Interested: Florida, Montreal, Toronto, Colorado, Calgary

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Patrik Berglund

Current Team: St. Louis Blues

Teams Interested: Washington, Ottawa, Florida, Buffalo

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

B.J. Crombeen

Current Team: St. Louis Blues

Teams Interested: Anaheim, Toronto, Buffalo, Florida

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Brad Winchester

Current Team: St. Louis Blues

Teams Interested: Vancouver

Chances of Being Moved: 30%f

Cam Janssen

Current Team: St. Louis Blues

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Anaheim, Toronto, Nashville

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Barret Jackman*

Current Team: St. Louis Blues

Teams Interested: Toronto

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Carlo Colaiacovo

Current Team: St. Louis Blues

Teams Interested: Tampa Bay, Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Ty Conklin

Current Team: St. Louis Blues

Teams Interested: Detroit, New York Islanders

Chances of Being Moved: 45%

Adam Hall

Current Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

Teams Interested: Nashville, Vancouver, Chicago

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Brett Clark

Current Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

Teams Interested: Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, San Jose

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Mike Smith

Current Team: Norfolk Admirals (AHL)

Teams Interested: New York Islanders, Washington, Detroit, Anaheim

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Phil Kessel

Current Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Teams Interested: Los Angeles, Colorado, Buffalo, Florida

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Note: Maple Leafs GM, Brian Burke, insists he has not and will not shop Phil Kessel, despite some reports that say he has.

Mikhail Grabovski

Current Team: Toronto Maple LEafs

Teams Interested: Montreal, Los Angeles, Phoenix

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Clarke MacArthur

Current Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Teams Interested: Vancouver, Nashville, Calgary, Phoenix, Colorado-dum

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Fredrik Sjostrom

Current Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Teams Interested: Nashville, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Phoenix

Chances of Being Moved: 30%

Mike Komisarek*

Current Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Teams Interested: New Jersey, Carolina, Philadelphia

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Jean-Sebastien Giguere*

Current Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Teams Interested: Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Note: Probably too much cap shuffling required for a contending team to get him under the cap.

Jonas Gustavsson

Current Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Teams Interested: New York Islanders, Detroit, Anaheim

Chances of Being Moved: 20%

Mason Raymond

Current Team: Vancouver Canucks

Teams Interested: Toronto, Florida, Colorado, Carolina

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

a

Cody Hodgson

Current Team: Vancouver Canucks

Teams Interested: Buffalo, Colorado, Edmonton, Calgary, Florida, Toronto, Ottawa, Dallas, Boston

Chances of Being Moved: 5%

Keith Ballard*

Current Team: Vancouver Canucks

Teams Interested: Toronto, Colorado, Dallas, Columbus

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Kevin Bieksa

Current Team: Vancouver Canucks

Teams Interested: Montreal, Columbus, Boston, Tampa Bay, Dallas

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Christian Ehrhoff

Current Team: Vancouver Canucks

Teams Interested: Columbus, Montreal, Dallas

Chances of Being Moved: 10%

Andrew Alberts

Current Team: Vancouver Canucks

Teams Interested: Boston, San Jose

Chances of Being Moved: 25%

Cory Schneider

Current Team: Vancouver Canucks

Teams Interested: Ottawa, Washington, Florida, San Jose, Colorado

Chances of Being Moved: Less than 5%

Note: If Schneider is moved, it's much more likely to happen at the Draft.

Alex Semin

Current Team: Washington Capitals

Teams Interested: Montreal, Los Angeles, Minnesota

Chances of Being Moved: 15%

Remember to check back for updates.

@CMHockey

List of trades to this point:

• Maple Leafs trade (D) Francois Beauchemin to Ducks for (RW) Joffrey Lupul, (D) Jake Gardiner and a conditional 4th round draft pick in 2013.
• Coyotes trade (G) Al Montoya to New York Islanders for 6th round draft pick in 2011.
• Blackhawks trade (RW) Jack Skille, (F) Hugh Jessiman and (F) David Pacan to Panthers for (F) Michael Frolik and (G) Alexander Salak.
• Devils trade (F) Patrick Davis and (F) Mike Swift to Sharks for (F) Steve Zalewski and (D) Jay Leach.
• Senators trade (C) Mike Fisher to Predators for 1st round draft pick in 2011, Conditional (2nd or 3rd round) draft pick in 2012.
• Maple Leafs trade (RW) Kris Versteeg to Flyers for 1st and 3rd round draft picks in 2011.
• Ducks trade (RW) Aaron Voros to Maple Leafs for conditional 7th round pick in 2011.
• Senators trade (C) Chris Kelly to Bruins for 2nd round pick in 2011.
• Ducks trade (D) Paul Mara to Canadiens for 5th round pick in 2012.
• Senators trade (LW) Jarkko Ruutu to Ducks for 6th round pick in 2011.
• Avalanche trade (G) Craig Anderson to Senators for (G) Brian Elliott.
• Maple Leafs trade (D) Tomas Kaberle to Bruins for (C) Joe Colborne, 1st round pick in 2011 and a conditional 2nd round draft pick in 2012.
• Bruins trade (LW) Blake Wheeler and (D) Mark Stuart to Thrashers for (C) Rich Peverly and (D) Boris Valabik.
• Sharks trade (D) Derek Joslin to Hurricanes for future considerations.
• Hurricanes trade (D) Ian White to Sharks for a 2nd round draft pick in 2012. 
• Blues trade (D) Eric Brewer to Lightning for (D) Brock Beukeboom and a 3rd round pick in 2011.
• Avalanche trade (RW) Chris Stewart, (D) Kevin Shattenkirk and a conditional 2nd round pick in 2011 / 2012 to Blues for (D) Erik Johnson, (C) Jay McClement and a conditional 1st round pick in 2011 / 2012.
• Stars trade (LW) James Neal and (D) Matt Niskanen to Penguins for (D) Alex Goligoski.
• Lightning trade (G) Dan Ellis to Ducks for (G) Curtis McElhinney.
• Senators trade (LW) Alexei Kovalev to Penguins for a conditional draft pick in 2011 (6th or 7th rounder).
• Senators claim (RW) Marek Svatos off Waivers from Predators.
• Thrashers trade (D) Brent Sopel and (F) Nigel Dawes to Canadiens for (C) Ben Maxwell and a 4th round pick in 2011.
• Panthers trade (LW) Cory Stillman to Hurricanes for (C) Ryan Carter and a 5th round pick in 2011.
• Predators trade (D) Alexander Sulzer to Panthers for a conditional 7th round pick in 2012.
• Senators claim (F) Marco Sturm off Waivers from Kings.
• Blue Jackets claim (D) Craig Rivet off re-entry Waivers from Sabres.
• Flyers claim (D) Nick Boynton off Waivers from Blackhawks.
• Panthers trade (D) Bryan McCabe to Rangers for (F) Tim Kennedy and a 3rd round pick in 2011.
• Bruins trade (F) Brian McGrattan and (D) Sean Zimmerman to Ducks for (F) David Laliberte and (F) Steaputfan Chaput.
• Blues trade (F) Brad Boyes to Sabres for a 2nd round pick in 2011.

Another Rumor Update

With the trade deadline fast approaching, the rumor mill is ramping up it's production of rumors, both legitimate and the just plain absurd.

Here's an update on what I've been hearing recently:

-As of today, I started getting conflicting reports on the availability of Islanders winger Matt Moulson.
One source told me he's very close to being dealt while another said nothing is imminent though it is being discussed.
Moulson could be a big, big addition for a playoff bound team if he is indeed traded.
I've heard Boston could be interested, but Bob McKenzie tweeted that "If the Islanders are trading Moulson, as has been reported, I'm told it's not to Boston."

-I haven't heard anything new regarding Jarome Iginla.
I expect him to remain a Flame, despite uninformed rumors stating otherwise.
BUT if Iginla does decide he's willing to waive his no-trade clause, I'd expect Flames (interim?) GM Jay Feaster to be fielding many calls.
Actually, he'll probably be doing that anyway... 

-Lots of interest building around Toronto's Jean-Sebastien Giguere, especially with rookie James Reimer really showing a lot of potential.
Haven't really heard anything concrete on who might be making offers for Giguere's services, but I know for a fact that teams are calling.

-I've been hearing about a "major" deal happening with the Flyers for about a week now.
I have no idea what it is, if anything at all, and thus far have heard nothing new about it.
Food for thought.

-On the defense market, focus has somewhat shifted from Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa. It looks more and more likely by the day that the Canucks will keep him (and Christian Ehrhoff, for the record) for their playoff run.
Thus, quite a few teams have started calling on Calgary about Robyn Regehr.
New Jersey is pretty interested, and I'm told the Canadiens have kicked tires as well.

-There's an intriguing rumor abound about the Oilers possibly moving Hemsky.
I don't know what to think of that, but I do know this, if it were to happen, teams would be lining up to take a shot at acquiring him.
Hearing the Rangers, Kings and Panthers being thrown in there.

-Mike Commodore cleared re-entry waivers today. Looks like he'll be playing in the AHL for a while.

-Kings, Penguins and Sharks might be interested in acquiring Jarkko Ruutu.

-Jim Matheson mused if the Sharks might try and pick up Sheldon Souray for their playoff run (which is currently in question).

-Matheson also thinks that the Penguins ought to try and trade Evgeni Malkin and finally find a top-flight winger to play with Sidney Crosby.
It seems all right in logic, but everybody knows that's very, very unlikely to happen.

-The Flyers are looking for an affordable winger to add some scoring punch who will be unrestricted in July.

-Another "interesting" one:
James Neal being dangled to bring a puck moving defenseman to Dallas?

-Capitals and Sharks among those interested in Ottawa's Chris Phillips.

-Hearing Jiri Hudler could be available in Detroit.

More to come, I'm sure.

Rumor Updates

OKAY.

So in all of my more recent updates (if you want to consider them recent at all), I've apologized for a lack of activity and promised more consistency in the coming weeks, which to date, has yet to turn out accordingly.

I'm sorry I haven't been around. Between music, trying to launch a website and family stuff, there hasn't been much time for a lot of hockey talk and I'm afraid that's not going to change any time soon.

I'll try my best to post rumor updates as I hear about them, but if the last couple of months is any indication, that probably doesn't mean much.

RUMORS:

-Any Brad Richards rumors have all but dried up with the stellar play of the Dallas Stars.  Unless Dallas absolutely COLLAPSES in the second half, Brad Richards isn't going anywhere.

-Another set of rumors squashed were the Alex Frolov to Montreal rumors (which seem to pop up this time of year every year -- it has since I started doing this, regardless of where the guy is playing, it seems).
The Rangers announced yesterday that Frolov would be out for the rest of the season with an MCL tear, ACL sprain and medial meniscus tear in his right knee. So he's not going anywhere either.

-With the Devils' dealing Jamie Langenbrunner to Dallas, many people thought that was the first straw in a long line of rebuilding moves by New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello, and though he has denied the Devils are going into a "rebuild," all signs point in that direction.
-Jason Arnott has said he's willing to waive his no-trade clause to be moved to a playoff contender, and I've heard that the Canadiens are interested.
-No real talk yet about Brian Rolston, but if the Minnesota Wild continue to win and find themselves in playoff contention around trade deadline time, rumors will likely pick up.
-There has been talk that Zach Parise won't be a Devil for much longer. While I find it extremely hard to believe that the Devils would let him go, it is being talked about. Mainly because nobody's really sure if the Devils will have enough money to sign Parise considering how much they're paying Ilya Kovalchuk.
-Hearing that Andy Greene is becoming a popular topic of phone calls to Mr. Lamoriello as well.

-A rumor crossed me yesterday that I simply gawked at. A "source" informed me he'd heard talk about a deal that could go down between the Maple Leafs and Capitals that would involve at least one, if not both, of J.S. Giguere and Tomas Kaberle going to Washington D.C.
While it sounds ludicrous to me, I'm not going to say it's not going to happen, but really, the only way I can see that POSSIBLY going down is if Alex Semin goes back the other way (just for cap reasons). And frankly, there's no way Brian Burke would do such a thing unless he was recently hit with a puck while overseeing Leafs practice.
Look at it this way:
Why would Burke trade 2 players he's become fond of, who he very well might sign to extensions, for a Russian player that's unproven in the playoffs, has a questionable work ethic and is in the last year of a $6 million contract? I simply cannot fathom any way such a trade is going to happen.

-Sticking with the Leafs for a minute, let's talk about Kris Versteeg.
He's been the topic of quite a few rumors recently. Even Brian Burke said, albeit in a roundabout kind of way, that he's gotten some "serious interest" for Versteeg.
I know the Canucks have called about him and from what I've heard, they're not the only ones. I can only speculate on the others, so I won't get specific but I would definitely expect Atlanta to be one of them.
It kind of makes me raise an eyebrow that Burke would consider trading Versteeg, considering one, how much he gave up to acquire him from Chicago last summer and two, just how well Versteeg is playing right now.
Granted, Burke's always been known to wheel and deal and Kris Versteeg certainly isn't immune to that AND the Leafs could probably get a pretty significant return if they decided to put him on the block. But I can't wrap my head around trading for a player, have them start to produce for you, and then trade them away before their first season with your club is even complete.
BUT then again, that's probably why I'm a blogger and not a GM.

-Lots of interest in Carolina's Joni Pitkanen.
The Sharks and Blue Jackets are said to be interested while the Canadiens had talks with the Hurricanes before acquiring James Wisniewski from the Islanders.

-Hearing that Tim Gleason may also be available in Carolina.

-The Los Angeles Kings have "significant interest" in a couple of Buffalo Sabres.
Particularly Tim Connolly and / or Drew Stafford.

-The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for offensive help on the wing, as they tend to do this time of year.
Some names I've heard tossed around: Kris Versteeg, Nikita Filatov, Josh Bailey, Clarke McArthur and David Booth.

-With the Blue Jackets demoting Mike Commodore to Springfield of the AHL while they look for potential trading partners, memories of a summer rumor (Commodore for Souray) sprang to mind.
I haven't heard such things (in fact, I haven't much of anything concerning Mike Commodore), but food for thought nonetheless.

-The rumors about Marc Savard being on the chopping block in Boston are bogus. And frankly, even if the Bruins wanted to move him, given his contract and recent injury history, he'd be a very, very tough sell. He's not going anywhere.

-Lots of stuff floating around regarding the Ottawa Senators...
I've heard stuff about moving Alex Kovalev (good luck with that), convincing Chris Phillips to waive his no-movement clause, acquiring a bona-fide number 1 goaltender and even dumping young guns Nick Foligno and Peter Regin.
As of right now, I haven't heard anything really concrete, but if I had to guess, I'd say Phillips is most likely to move.  A source told me just today that the Phoenix Coyotes have called Bryan Murray regarding his services.

-The Sharks are looking for depth on defense (see Joni Pitkanen above), but other names that have popped up are Tomas Kaberle, Francois Beauchemin, Steve Montador, Bryan McCabe and possibly even Sheldon Souray.

-The Blackhawks may take a look at Evgeni Nabokov if they continue to slide.

- A few teams have asked about the availability of the Panthers' Stephen Weiss.
No real word on anything there, but I don't expect Panthers GM Dale Tallon to part with Weiss without a sizable return coming to south Florida.

-Some teams have asked about Clarke McArthur, too, but it remains to be seen just how valuable he'll be on the trade market.

-Teams continue to ask and bloggers continue to speculate about Jarome Iginla's future in Calgary. With Daryl Sutter stepping down and Jay Feaster identifying Iginla as part of the core of his team in the years to come, I find such rumors highly suspect, but I'm not going to dismiss them. If the Flames continue to wallow in the depths of the Western Conference standings, I think such a trade becomes more likely, but as of right now, expect Iginla to remain a Flame.

-Niclas Bergfors has fallen out of favor in a big way in Atlanta. A few teams have called about him. The most concrete of anything I've heard is about the Nashville Predators, who could use the scoring depth.

-There's been a lot of talk about Vancouver's defensive corps this season. Whether or not they'll keep Kevin Bieksa has been at the forefront.
However, from what I've been told, a deal isn't very likely.
Here's what I was told: The Canucks aren't even sure if Sami Salo will be back this season (so they wouldn't have to clear any cap space to make room for him), which kind of puts the squash on any rumors concerning the Cnaucks blueline.

I'm going to try and do a Trade Deadline rumor chart like I did last year, but I don't know how much time I'll have so I won't make any promises.

Until next time.

@CMHockey 

Another long, long overdue update.

I don't need to go into a lengthy explanation to tell you all what's been going on. Just been hectically busy the last couple of months combined with some health issues that I haven't really had time to keep this blog up-to-date.

Hopefully I'll be able to update this thing more often than I have been recently, but I'm not going to make any promises because I certainly don't want to jinx it.

So without further adieu, our first rumor update of the season:

-First, let me address the (silly) Iginla trade rumors being spread around. Yes, I've been told the L.A. Kings (among a few others) DO have significant interest in Jarome Iginla, however, the Calgary Flames aren't discussing moving him right now.  That may change should February 28th roll around and the Flames are looking at another dismal spring outside of the playoffs, but as of right now, nothing's going to happen.
And even if such discussions were happening, and I say this hypothetically, would the Kings really want to handcuff themselves with Iginla's $7 million salary for the next two plus seasons when they need to sign RFAs-to-be Drew Doughty, Wayne Simmonds, and Jack Johnson to contract extensions when this season is through?  The Kings have some cap space, yes, but not enough cap space to accommodate this kind of move right now. That's it.

-Another team that's been heavily discussed in the rumor mill thus far this season is the Boston Bruins.  They started off the season without Marco Sturm and Marc Savard, which allowed them both some cap relief and some significant time to evaluate 2nd overall pick Tyler Seguin at an NHL level, but now with both Sturm and Savard poised to return sooner rather than later, the Bruins have some decisions to make in order to stay cap compliant.
The Savard trade rumors remain unfounded as far as I can tell (nobody's going to take a chance on a guy just coming off of a major concussion with six more years left on his current contract) and the Bergeron rumors that have popped up in the last couple of days fail to make sense if you were to ask me.
Sturm's another candidate whose name has been tossed around.  Though Sturm is in a similar situation as Savard (coming off a significant knee injury, the third in a couple of years if my memory serves me correctly), he'd also be much easier for the Bruins to move (no-trade clause aside) as his contract is up at the end of the season and he's only making $3.5 million this season.
However, from what I've heard the trade targets are less so Savard and Sturm (and much less so Bergeron) and more like Blake Wheeler, Michael Ryder, Andrew Ference and Matt Hunwick.  All of them are either coming to the end of their contracts or have an affordable enough cap number that they would be easier to move than the players listed above.  The question remains, however, if moving any of those salaries would be enough to keep the team salary cap compliant.
Other options that have been discussed include demoting a couple players to the minors.  Who is in danger of being sent down to the "A"?  Michael Ryder's name pops up again, as does rookie Jordan Caron.

 -Just to be thorough, the rumors about Patrice Bergeron, in case you haven't heard them, involved Bergeron being moved to either Columbus or Colorado for a combination of prospects and draft picks.
But like I said, I don't see that happening.

-Another big topic around the league is the New Jersey Devils.  I don't think I need to explain why.
As far as I've been told, rookie head coach John MacLean doesn't have to worry about losing his job (yet).  But GM Lou Lamoriello may not have much of a choice should his team continue to struggle and he be unable to swing a trade or two.
Rumor wise, the Devils have been said to be looking to add scoring to their lineup(...duh.), especially with Parise and Langenbrunner out and Kovalchuk continuing to be inconsistent.  Colin White's name seems to be the one popping up most.  I hear the Oilers could be interested, which leads me to another rumor I'll look at a little later on.

-Sticking with New Jersey, Patrik Elias's name has come up here and there also, mostly concerning the Kings' hopes of adding a scoring winger to lighten to load in Hollywood.

-On that note, here's a few names the Kings are looking at in that capacity: Jarome Iginla and Patrik Elias (above) as well as Dustin Penner.
They could also be a possible trade partner for the aforementioned Bruins as Marco Sturm, Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler all potentially fit that pedigree the Kings are looking for, but I haven't really heard anything like that (not yet, at least).

-There is a lot (and I mean a lot) of interest gathering around Toronto's Luke Schenn, despite Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke not being interested in trading him.
Sources have told me they think Schenn could still be moved if the right package was presented, however.  That package, I think, would probably include a top flight center for Phil Kessel / Kris Versteeg to work with.

-The Thrashers are looking to add some depth and experience on their blueline.  The aforementioned Colin White could be a target (the Devils and Thrashers do have some recent history), while names like Barrett Jackman out of St. Louis and Michal Roszival of the Rangers have also been tossed around.

-As soon as Marc-Andre Bergeron is cleared to play again, expect him to be signing a contract with an NHL club.  Many have mused that he'll be back with Montreal, considering Andrei Markov's recent string of injuries, but there's a dark horse: Tampa Bay.  According to Bergeron's agent, Paul Corbeil, was quoted as saying the Lightning have "'serious' interest" in his client.
As if Tampa's power play wasn't already dangerous enough without Bergeron's booming slapshot on the blueline...

-In case you missed it, the Minnesota Wild claimed Patrick O'Sullivan off of Waivers from Carolina today.

-Montreal is apparently calling teams all over the league looking to add something to their squad.  As a source put it, "The Habs have Price right now, but not much else."

-The Islanders are looking to add a defenseman.  The usual suspects apply, but I've heard something about Robyn Regehr, too.

-The Devils and Avs are apparently talking about a trade.  Don't know what they're discussing, though.

-And then there's Brad Richards.  He'll be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and many people in the hockey community have speculated that the cash-strapped Stars will be hard pressed to retain the former Conn Smythe winner's services.
I haven't really heard about any actual talks or real interest from teams yet, but you can definitely expect that to change by the time the February 28th trade deadline rolls around. 

The Long Overdue Western Conference Predictions

And now for the long, long overdue Western Conference Predictions:

No need to tell you that I've been battling a bug for the last few days (not that that's anything new). So we'll just jump right into it!

15. Edmonton Oilers

Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson and co. or not, the Oilers aren't going to see that much of a difference in 2010-11.  The difference between this season and the last is that the future is bright, not doomed and distant.  

Add the fact that the Sheldon Souray situation will likely end up being very messy, and you've got a distraction, whether Souray's been told to stay away from the team or not.

The rebuild is a work in progress, and it will need some time before any fruit can be bared.

14. Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are another team caught in a transitionary period.  With Mike Modano and Marty Turco gone and both head coach Marc Crawford and GM Joe Nieuwendyk set to begin their second seasons with the team, the Dallas Stars are a team that lack a real identity going into 2010-11.  The likes of James Neal, Jamie Benn and company will make the transition a little more smooth, but it's not going to be an easy road to travel, especially considering the Stars current ownership situation (or dilemma, rather) and the stifled payroll situation that goes with it.

13. Columbus Blue Jackets

While many people expect Rick Nash to have a bounce back season, Nikita Filatov to finally provide some additional offense and Steve Mason to return to his rookie form (myself included), rookie head coach Scott Arniel has a lot of work to do to get the Blue Jackets back into the playoff picture.  While 2010-11 will likely be a rebound year for the Jackets, they'll still be on the outside looking in come April, when the Stanley Cup Playoffs roll around.

12. Minnesota Wild

Let's be honest.  The Minnesota Wild are not the team they used to be.  With a GM and coaching staff going into their sophomore years in the Twin Cities, the Wild are still a team looking for an identity, much like the aforementioned Dallas Stars.  

While center stalwart Mikko Koivu will no doubt remain consistent for the Wild, it's the talent around him (or lack thereof, depending on your point of view) that will make or break the Wild's playoff hopes in 2010-11.  Martin Havlat, for example, accumulated 54 points (23 less than his previous year), and if my math is correct, that's a little less than $10 million a point.  If the Wild want back in the winner's circle, Havlat (among others), needs to be better in 2010-11.

11. Calgary Flames

A couple years ago, the Calgary Flames were considered by most to be one of the more consistent teams in the NHL and thus, topped prediction lists year after year, as many people thought (myself included in some recent years) that they would be competing for the Stanley Cup in the spring. 

What happened to that team?

By my own estimation:  Shoddy cap management, strange contracts and trades, and the firing of a coach they were probably better off with.  No offense to Brent Sutter, but I'm unconvinced he's handling the Calgary Flames job any better than his predecessor, Mike Keenan, did. 

Combine that with one of the NHL's best general managers, Daryl Sutter, who suddenly appears to have no idea what he's doing (trading away defensive stalwart Dion Phaneuf AND grade-A defense prospect Keith Aulie for practically nothing in return -- which was followed by chasing the inconsistent Olli Jokinen out of town -- only to bring him back via free agency the following summer) and you've got yourself a problem.  Nevermind that the team is underperforming (Jay Bouwmeester is a good example), and they've yet to find a center to play with Jarome Iginla (as it's pretty obvious, based on their past history together, that Olli Jokinen won't fit that bill).  One kind of has to wonder that after such a disappointing year in 2009-10 (not to mention that the Flames haven't made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2004) just how Daryl Sutter still has a job.

10. St. Louis Blues

After a year to forget in 2009-10, the St. Louis Blues had a bit of a "changing of the guard" type of summer that saw free agents Chris Mason (signed with Atlanta), Paul Kariya (sitting out in 2010-11), Keith Tkachuk (retired) and tough guy D.J. King (traded to Washington) leave the Gateway City in favor of newcomers Jaroslav Halak (acquired from Montreal), T.J. Hensick (acquired from Colorado) and Vladimir Sobotka (acquired from Boston).  While the Blues group of core players remain in tact (Erik Johnson, David Backes, David Perron, T.J. Oshie, etc.), it may take some time for the new faces listed above and new up-and-comers to get acclimated enough for St. Louis to be a force to be reckoned with.  While the future is definitely bright in St. Louis, I expect the Blues to be playing golf when the Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway in April.

9. Nashville Predators

Nashville always seems to find a way to squeak into the Playoffs, thanks to the magnificent job of coaching Barry Trotz has done over the last several years, but after losing former captain Jason Arnott, goaltender Dan Ellis and underestimated defender Dan Hamhuis this summer, this blogger wonders if the additions of Matthew Lombardi and Sergei Kostitsyn will be enough to keep the Predators inside the playoff picture in 2010-11.  Personally, while the Preds' defense doesn't seem to have depreciated over the summer, what I'm more concerned about is A) their offense -- Nashville has never been a team that's scored a whole lot of goals, and with offensive powerhouses like Chicago, Detroit and the blossoming St. Louis Blues in their division (and let's not forget about Rick Nash in Columbus either) -- is Nashville's defense powerful enough to keep those teams at bay 6 times a year? I don't think so.  B) Who's going to backup Pekka Rinne?  Chet Pickard?  Is he ready for the NHL yet?

8. Anaheim Ducks

The resurgent Ducks went through a mini-rebuild in the summer, as Scott Niedermayer retired and James Wisniewski was shipped to Long Island.  The Ducks chose to adjust to the changing climates of the NHL rather than go into the shop for a full blown rebuild.  In that vein, they brought back the Finnish Flash himself, Teemu Selanne, for at least another year, re-signed Bobby Ryan to a new 5-year deal, kept Saku Koivu around for at least another 2 years and brought in a handful of defenders (Andy Sutton, Paul Mara, Tony Lydman, Danny Syvret) in hopes of getting back into the playoff fold.  Well, as far as I can tell, they've done a pretty good job and we'll see them again in the spring.

7. Colorado Avalanche

Many people have the Colorado Avalanche taking a step back this season after surprising just about everybody in 2009-10 and making the playoffs after a dismal 2008-09 effort that saw them finish last in the Western Conference.  Not I.  Perhaps it's because I'm a biased Avalanche fan at heart, or maybe it's because I just don't see a team with this much depth and room for growth slowing down for the sophomore slump.  While the Avs did lose a handful of players that contributed last season (Brett Clark, Matt Hendricks, Ruslan Salei, Chris Durno, Darcy Tucker, for example), by my estimation, none of the above moves actually hurt their chances.  The Avs brought in Dan Winnik (via trade with Phoenix) to replace Hendricks' grit, a healthy David Jones / Brandon Yip tandem will replace Darcy Tucker's 10-15 goals a year, and Ryan Wilson basically played both Ruslan Salei and Brett Clark off the roster.

If Craig Anderson and Peter Budaj can keep their consistent goaltending up, and the top lines led by Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene can continue to produce, the Avalanche should have no trouble getting back to the playoffs in 2010-11.

And I mean, come on, are you telling me a team with a third line of David Jones, Ryan O'Reilly and Brandon Yip isn't going to make the playoffs?

6. Phoenix Coyotes

Much like the aforementioned Avalanche, the Phoenix Coyotes surprised many a hockey fan last season after many people had left those dogs for dead in the Arizona desert.  With the help of super-coach Dave Tippett and an outstanding 2009-10 season by goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, the Coyotes almost took the Pacific Division crown.  And well, not much has changed for 2010-11.  The loss of Matthew Lombardi (who signed in Nashville) hurts, but if Kyle Turris and Viktor Tikhonov can live up to their potential, they'll more than make up for both Lombardi's speed and offensive output.

5. Chicago Blackhawks

The Stanley Cup champs, predictably, fall a bit in the standings, but remain in the playoff picture for 2010-11.  While many hockey pundits seem to have forgotten about Chicago's wealth of prospects in their system and have thus, practically written them off in the coming season, I can't help but shake my head at them.  As long as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp can keep the 'Hawks offense afloat and Marty Turco can keep more pucks out of the net than he lets in, the Blackhawks will be just fine.

4. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks remain atop the Western Conference standings, but fall a couple of spots after losing their captain Rob Blake and their number one goaltender, Evgeny Nabokov, in the summer of 2010.  While they did bring in Antero Niittymaki and Stanley Cup champion netminder Antti Niemi, their consistently decent goaltending during the regular season won't win them the Pacific Division title.

3. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are going to leave a lot of teams shellshocked this season, mark my words.  Whether it's their wave after wave of offense (Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown lead the charge), their stellar defense (add Willie Mitchell to an already strong defense corps including Drew Doughty, Rob Scuderi and Matt Greene) or their likely steadfast goaltending tandem (John Quick and John Bernier), the Kings will find a way to beat you.  Looking at the architecture by GM Dean Lombardi, this team is built to win, and in 2010-11, they just might do so.

2. Detroit Red Wings

In 2010-11 we see the Red Wings return to form and despite being in the terrifying Central Division, they come out on top and thus, second place in the Western Conference.  While I personally doubt that they have what it takes to make a serious run at another Stanley Cup in 2011, I've eaten my words many a time in regard to not-so-secretly hoping for Detroit to fail.  What are the odds, do you think, of it happening again in 2010-11?  Considering my luck and track record on the subject, pretty good.  Pretty good.

1. Vancouver Canucks

And as much as it pains me to do so (being an avid Colorado Avalanche fan and all), the Vancouver Canucks will be the force to be reckoned with in the NHL in 2010-11.  Their offense (the Sedins, Kesler, Burrows, Samuelsson, Raymond, etc.) is scary.  Their defense (Salo, Ballard, Bieksa, Hamhuis, O'Brien, Edler) is pretty scary, too.  Oh, and their goaltending tandem?  Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider.  Cory Schneider could very well win over a starting job on many teams in the NHL and he's the backup in Vancouver.  Whether I like it or not, 2010-11 looks to be Vancouver's year in the spotlight.