Morning Hits: Grigorenko, Zadorov, Etem, Steckel, White, Bishop and Conacher
  • TSN: The Sabres agree to allow Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov to play for Russia at the World Junior Championship.
  • Eric Stephens: The Ducks have recalled Emerson Etem and David Steckel. Mathieu Perreault on the IR.
  • Dmitry Chesnokov: Ian White is close, or may even have a “done deal” with a KHL team.
  • Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun: Senators GM Bryan Murry is still happy with the Ben Bishop for Cory Conacher trade.

    “It wasn’t anything about Cory Conacher and Ben Bishop. It was, do we keep Robin Lehner or do we keep Ben Bishop,” Murray told reporters as he watched the Senators practice Wedensday at Tampa Bay Times Forum. “And from the offset, we felt Robin Lehner is a guy in the future, and now is the future for him, that is going to be a top end goaltender in the NHL. So that’s why the trade was made.

    “If I hadn’t of traded Ben Bishop, you guys would be asking me today, ‘what the hell are you doing with three goaltenders? And who’s starting tomorrow night? And that’s really wrong, what you’re doing’.

    “I couldn’t have signed (Bishop) to another contract and kept Robin and Craig (Anderson).”