- Craig Custance of ESPN: Ducks GM Bob Murray will have to decide by the trade deadline if this year is just a “hiccup or if there’s something fundamentally wrong with the core of the team.” Coach Bruce Boudreau doesn’t think they need a total blowup. Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson: “At this point, we anticipate trading away some of our players, particularly the unrestricted ones.” Their UFAs are Kristian Huselius, Sammy Pahlsson, Vinny Prospal and Radek Martinek.
- Helene Elliott via twitter: Ducks GM Bob Murray is going on a scouting trip. Elliott was told that nothing is going on trade-wise for the Ducks at the moment, but the rumors will definitely be flying.
- Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail: The 39 year old Martin Brodeur may not be thinking of retirement just yet.
“It’s funny, because I’ve asked a lot of players, and a lot of who are enjoying their retirement, but you know what? They all say they wish they could have maybe played another season. That makes me think, maybe I can stick around, if they still want me. So we’ll see.”
- John Vogl of the Buffalo News: Sabres winger Thomas Vanek left last night’s game after taking a hit from Dion Phaneuf. The Sabres initially said it was an upper-body injury but later …
“He’s either got food poisoning, some type of virus, flu,” Ruff said after the game. “He wasn’t feeling well in warm-up. … If you watch his first three shifts, you could tell. That was part of the issue. That line didn’t get anything going. He had nothing. He emptied his tank in between periods and couldn’t go.”
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Stars center Mike Ribeiro has some knee issues that he wants to play through.
“He may fly in tomorrow,” Gulutzan added. “He has an MCL (tear) there, but there’s an old MCL (scar) there, so that pollutes the water (of the MRI) of what’s actually there. He has it and he’s limping around, but Ribs thinks he can play. But for his sake, we have to make sure that he’s stable enough and doesn’t get an injury there. He really wanted to come on the trip, we had to make him stay at home.”
- Alan Robinson of NHL.com: Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson was scratched just before game time last night due to an upper-body injury. Bruce Garrioch via twitter: An update will come on Karlsson’s status this morning at practice.
- Mike Chambers of the Denver Post: Avs forward Matt Duchene is walking around fine, and is probable to return later this month. He’s been out since Dec. 29th with a knee injury.
- Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel: Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom will have minor knee surgery today. If it ends up being just a ‘scope,’ then it will be at least 3-4 weeks. This will be Markstrom’s 2nd surgery on his knee in the last 10 months. Jose Theodore could practice later this week.
- Mike Heika via twitter: The Stars have put Philip Larsen on the IR.
- David Pagnotta via twitter: There were only 3 scouts at the Leafs – Sabres game last night: Oilers, Flyers and Blues.
