- Craig Custance of the Sporting News: Lightning GM Steve Yzerman confirms that he spoke with Evgeni Nabokov’s agent but wouldn’t say anything more. He did say that their goaltending needs to improve and he’s not ruling out that improvement comes from Dan Ellis and Mike Smith. The Washington Capitals are also mentioned a team that may be interested in Nabokov but Bruce Boudreau offered this, “We’ve got two great young goaltenders,” Boudreau said. “Not good, but great young goaltenders. We’re not going after anybody else.”
- Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune: It seems like a no brainer for the Lightning to sign Evgeni Nabokov but there a few things that Yzerman has to consider. 1) He’s 35 so if you sign him to multi-year deal he’ll count against the cap even if he stops playing. He struggle at the Olympics last year (and through parts of the season) and in the KHL this year. 2) If they sign him, he still has to clear waivers. 3) How much does he expect to make? Is he looking for something in the $4 million range? If the Lightning decide to go another route the could inquire about Dwayne Roloson and Johan Hedberg as upgrades to their current tandem.
- The Globe and Mail: It looks like Matt Hulsizer is getting closer to owning the Arizona Phoenix Coyotes as the Glendale City Council approved the new lease in a 5-2 vote. The new deal will cost the city $197 million over 6 years, Hulsizer is expected to buy the team for $170 million.
“This is the resolution we sought,” Bettman said after the meeting ended near midnight. “The action taken by the council is successful and conclusive.”
“My reservation here is the city would be left with huge bills and no income from this transaction if Mr. Hulsizer defaults on any of his payments to the city,” said council member Joyce Clark, who voted against the lease. “If, for some reason, he relinquishes control of the Coyotes franchise, the cost to the city would be enormous.”
The Coyotes have not made money since they left Winnipeg in 1996, Hulsizer added,
“It will take some time to turn this around,” he said. “It will not happen in the short term. We’re looking 10, 15 years possibly, I don’t know. We hope the economy will start to turn around, and the Coyotes can win.”
- Tom Gulitti via twitter: Though not official yet, Dean McAmmond plans on retiring. McAmmond’s agent said he received a couple opportunities to continue playing but he had already stopped skating.
- The Detroit News: Jimmy Howard will start in the net for the Red Wings tonight against the Blues. Chris Osgood is likely to a get a shot at his 400th career win on either Friday or Saturday.
- Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News: Tim Connolly and Drew Stafford are expected back in the Sabres lineup tonight versus the Bruins. Rob Niedermayer is likely to return as well. Mark Mancari was sent to the AHL Monday and Luke Adam was sent back yesterday. Nathan Gerbe hasn’t scored in 20 games could be a healthy scratch.
- David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News: San Jose Sharks Douglas Murray, Devin Setoguchi and Kent Huskins all skated yesterday before the team left on a 3 game road trip.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: The rebuilding process between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton is quite different. From Brian Burke,
“We’re trying to do this without the draft picks. That’s why we signed Phil Kessel. We just have a different model, a different blue-print than Edmonton. We’re trying to rebuild without finishing dead last … although we almost did last year,” said Burke, who traded away his first-round draft pick last June and next summer to the Boston Bruins — who selected Tyler Seguin No. 2 overall behind Hall — for Kessel.
“I think you can rebuild without doing the Ottawa model or the Chicago model, where you finish last or dead-last or close to dead-last for two or three years and reload. I think you can add assets in a (salary) cap system. I build all my teams the same way — from the blue-line out. That’s where I spend my cap dollars. We’re different from Edmonton here. They’re building up front, first (Hall, Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi, Sam Gagner).
“I won’t change my blue-print. It worked in Vancouver. It worked in Anaheim.
- Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun: Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf shot down rumors that they feuded in Calgary. There were rumors that the 2 had fought, and that Phaneuf was having an affair with a teammates wife/girlfriend.
“Yes, Dion and I had a scrap,” Iginla admitted to the Toronto Sun.
“Ask Dion about our wrestling match,” Iginla said with a wink.
“It was at the hotel one time and we were just fooling around,” Phaneuf confirmed Tuesday.
“I was aware of the rumours. One of them suggested we got into it and one of us ended up with a black eye. I really don’t know where this stuff comes from.”
“Dion and I have been friends for a long time. And we will be long after our respective hockey careers have ended.”