- Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post: Rangers forward Brian Boyle took part in a full-contract skate yesterday and is questionable for today. It was his first day back on the ice after suffering a concussion in Game 5. Brandon Dubinsky is also questionable with a leg injury he suffered in Game 7. Dubinsky hasn’t been practicing.
- Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald: Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli:
“From the makeover perspective, certainly we’re not going to do anything to make over this team,” said Chiarelli, who met the press alongside coach Claude Julien. “You’ve heard me talk about parity in this league. A first-round loss this year (for the Bruins), and there could be another Stanley Cup final next year. It’s that close.
“I’d like to maybe look at a forward to bolster our top-nine. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to look at re-signing (free agent Benoit) Pouliot or putting (Jordan) Caron up there (on a top line). But we’re going to look at the trade and free agent markets.
“But in the major-change front, I’m not looking to do anything like that. I’d like to add some pieces.
“We lost in the first round, after having won the Cup last year, (but) to me we can go after the Cup again next year. I have every confidence we can do that.”
It doesn’t sound like the Bruins will be looking at Zach Parise or Ryan Suter.
- Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe: Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron suffered an oblique injury in Game 3 and re-aggravated it in Game 5. He also had a broken nose. GM Chiarelli on Tim Thomas trade rumors:
“I know I’ve seen speculation about moving a goalie and all that stuff,” Chiarelli said. “Certainly, I’m not inclined to do that. Tim didn’t have, statistically, the year he had the year before. But I thought he had a very good year. We have, if not the best, one of the top two or three goalie tandems in the league.”
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: (mailbag) Heika notes that if the Stars decide move Mike Ribeiro and/or Branden Morrow, they could look at Brad Boyes as a replacement. Heika points out he has no knowledge if they plan on moving Ribeiro or Morrow, but if they wanted to shake things up, those 2 could be candidates.
- Jonathan Willis of the Edmonton Journal: Willis expands on Dejan Kovacevic’s article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about how the Penguins blueline needs to be blown up, and that the Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek signings haven’t worked out. Willis points out that either Martin or Michalek would help stabilize the Oilers blueline. The Oilers would have to include salary in any deal, and the Pens wouldn’t take on Shawn Horcoff’s contract. Other than Eric Belanger, the Oilers may not have an expendable player with a contract. So there may not be a good fit between the 2 teams. The Pens will likely want to get a meaningful asset back.