- Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun: Jay Feaster cited the Flames depth where it matters most as one of the reasons he sent center Daymond Langkow to the Coyotes for winger Lee Stempniak. The Flames are going to see if Mikael Backlund can center the top line with Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay. The Flames also have Brendan Morrison, Olli Jokinen and Matt Stajan down the middle. Langkow carries a $4.5 million cap hit this year, Stempniak carries a $1.9 million hit. Niklas Hagman’s time as a Flame could be running short and he may find himself making $3 million in the AHL.
- Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly: Some think that 2011 1st round pick Sean Couturier could make the Flyers roster, which could create a logjam at center. Down the middle they have Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Blair Betts, Brayden Schenn and Ben Holmstrom. Michael Nylander is also heading to camp on a tryout.
- Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen: Chris Botta of NYI Point Blank suggests that the Islanders could be looking for a veteran defenseman. Warren wonders if the Isles would be interested in Filip Kuba. The Isles are $2.3 million below the salary cap floor. Chris Campoli and Bryan McCabe are free agent defenseman still available.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Oilers defenseman Ryan Whitney injured his surgically repaired right ankle skating earlier this month, but hopes to be ready for the start of training camp. “I rolled over on the foot … caught a rut in the ice. Minor sprain, I think,” said Whitney, “I’ll be back in Edmonton on Saturday. I don’t think it’s serious.”
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Pat Morris, the agent for former Oilers defenseman Steve Staios:
“He’s been training with all the young players at Matt Nichols’ camp in Toronto. I really think Steve could help a young team like the Islanders or Colorado (Avalanche). He played 23 of the last 27 games for Calgary last season, was an even-or plus-player in 18 of those games and had eight points.”
- Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune: Lightning winger Ryan Malone had surgery in July to repair some damage from the shoulder separation he suffered in first round of the playoffs.
“It was just kind of nagging, so I went to get it looked at it and it was still kind of separated so we had to go get it fixed,” Malone said. “After the season there was still all the swelling so after everything went down, that’s when we found some other stuff that had to be taken care of.”
Initial reports were saying he would miss up to 6 months, but Malone said he expects to be ready for the season opener on Oct. 7th. Malone hasn’t been cleared for contact and likely won’t before the start of camp.
- Lindsay Applebaum of the Washington Post: Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun wants to go out and enjoy playing hockey. He was disappointed with the offers he got in early July, including the 3 year offer from the Panthers.
“It was something I was looking at as, you know, I want to enjoy hockey. I want to play in playoffs,” Vokoun said Monday. “It’s been really tough for me. I lost four years. I’ve been sitting every summer here in South Florida, which I love, in the afternoons swimming in the pool, and by 7:30 at night I put on the TV and watch playoff hockey every single year. If you care and love playing hockey, it’s not an easy thing to do.”
- Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province: Canucks forward Mikael Samuelsson, who had surgery last May, is back on the ice and is feeling stronger in the groin and hip area. He had abductor-tendon and sports hernia surgery, and began training in July.
- Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: “I don’t know about you, but if I had Drew Doughty on my team, I’d do everything to make sure he was signed, happy, and ready to lead my Los Angeles Kings team. The last thing I’d want is to drag my franchise player through the negotiating mud all summer with no contract agreed to with three weeks until training camp.”
- George Malik via twitter: According to Sport-Express, Metallurg of the KHL is trying to sign Jarkko Ruutu.