- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Heika on Brad Richards,
I think you’re right in a lot of ways. I think what he would like to know is what level of commitment to winning will come from the new ownership. He wants a team committed to chasing a Stanley Cup and paying the money it takes to get that done. He does not want to be on a team where getting out of the first round of the playoffs is seen as a huge accomplishment. And, if you look at the past five or six seasons, that’s what the Stars are right now. If an owner is in place and states he wants to spend money and try to win now, then I think Richards is in. If a new owner talks about budgets and setting a low payroll in hopes of business success, I think he is out.
- Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe: Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said he spoke briefly to Kaberle’s agent the day after they traded for him, and they agreed to not to talk about an extension till after the season. “It was in a very postive light,’’ said Chiarelli, “and I am very optimistic.’’ Dupont thinks it would be a 3 or 4 year deal in the $4-4.5 million range.
- James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail: Mirtle thinks at this moment that the Maple Leafs and Clarke MacArthur will eventually get a deal done for the RFA, likely at the 11th hour, and closer to Burke’s number than agent’s Don Meehan’s.
- Jim Matheson via twitter: Duncan Keith has a $5.5 million salary cap hit, Brent Seabrook is at $5.8 million. Shea Weber’s should be in the same ballpark.
- Dmitry Chesnokov via twitter: Alexander Radulov said “never say never” about a North American return, and added, “From time to time I get offers , but they’re more like hints. B/c it’s pointless now that I’m under contract.”
- Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun: The Senators have had preliminary discussions with Craig Anderson who will be a UFA at the end of the season. Serious negotiations likely won’t start till later in the season when the Sens have a better idea of what they have in Anderson.
- Jesse Spector of the NY Daily News: Marc Staal and Ruslan Fedotenko remain out of the lineup for the Rangers.
- Curtis Zupke of the OC Register: Jonas Hiller is still experiencing vertigo symptoms and he didn’t make it through the entire practice yesterday.
“It’s still not the way I want to,” he said. “I still have the symptoms and I still don’t feel right. It still feels like I’ve got something slowing me down and it seems like I’m always behind the play. It doesn’t hurt or anything, but it’s definitely not a nice feeling.”
Hiller didn’t consider it a setback but said that “it’s definitely (taking) longer than I thought and longer than I wanted to.”
- David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News: Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle on his injury that kept him out of last night’s game, “You know I can’t discuss what it is, but obviously I’m not going,” Ian White wouldn’t mind re-signing with the Sharks, “Without question,” White said. “How could you not want to play on one of the top teams every year and have a good shot at winning?”