- Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge: Stars owner Tom Gaglardi on their blueline.
“I think if you look at our team you’d say our defense – everybody seems to say it and you read about it – is that our defense needs to get stronger, but it’s not a position you can easily strengthen,” he said. “And if you look at what we have in terms of prospects it is going to get better just by itself. We’ve got four guys in Texas that are knocking on the door and are going to push guys to be better and are going to want to play at the NHL level. So, we are in great shape.
“I read things that Dallas needs a No. 1 defenseman, but there are only eight of those guys in the entire NHL and they are never traded. We’ve done a good job, we’ve set ourselves up for the future with our prospects. I think you saw that the way Daley and Goligoski played in the second half of the season, I think for people to criticize our defense is flat wrong.”
- Joe Smith: Former Lightning winger Ryan Malone pled no contest to his DUI charge yesterday morning. He will do a pre-trial intervention program for his drug charge. The cocaine possession drug charge will be dismissed after the intervention program.
- Ottawa Senators: The Senators have signed forward Clarke MacArthur to a five year contract extension worth $23.25 million. Salary breakdown: $4.5 million, $4.5 million, $4.75 million, $4.75 million, and $4.75 million.