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Around the Boards: Changes coming in St. Louis and Edmonton? Schneider to be claimed off Waivers? White In, Kaberle Out?
Mark Easson
Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post Dispatch: Another mention that fans in St. Louis want Eric Staal. You could go to every NHL city, and anyone that knows anything about hockey would want Eric Staal. More of a dream than a rumor I think. That said, the Blues need to do something. They have some veterans that could be moved, but salary will play a big part: Keith Tkachuk ($2.15 million, Paul Kariya ($6 million), Eric Brewer ($4.5 million), Andy McDonald ($5.2 million), Barret Jackman ($4.5 this year, $7.5 mill the next 2), Brad Boyes ($5 million). What teams are more interested in would be: David Perron, Patrick Berglund, TJ Oshie, David Backes, and prospects Philip McRae, Jake Allen, Ian Cole, and Alex Pietrangelo. When you look at the young talent the Blues have, they could make a push for Staal, but I just don’t see it happening.
Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal: Time to blow it up in Edmonton? Players that they like or have contracts that will be tough to move: Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner, Gilbert Brule, Sam Gagner, Ladislav Smid, Lubomir Visnovsky, Sheldon Souray, Nikolai Khabibulin, Jeff Deslauriers and Shawn Horcoff. Players who they might be able to get something for: Ethan Moreau, Steve Staios and maybe Fernando Pisani.
Jim Jamieson of the Vancouver Province: The Canucks were unable to trade Mathieu Schnieder, and have placed him on waivers. If he clears waivers, he’ll be assigned to the AHL and will still collect his $1.55 million salary ($1.2 million in potential bonuses, $2.75 million cap hit this year). The Canucks think there was enough interest in Schnieder that he might be claimed by someone.
Jonas Siegel of AM 640 Toronto: Ian White will be a RFA this off-season and should be looking for a contract around $3 million a season. With White’s solid play this season and last, and with the off-season addition of Komisarek and Beauchemin, the trading of Kaberle will be all over the rumors as long as Kaberle is in the blue and white.