- Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press: Lawless thinks the Jets need to trade Dustin Byfuglien and get the most they can for him, whether it be at the deadline or in the summer. He would be a fit for a team looking for a power play specialist, an offensive-minded defenseman to play limited minutes. He’s not a 25-plus minute guy. Return for Byfuglien may be a first round pick and top prospect. Maybe a roster player, second or third pairing defenseman and a third rounder? A top six forward and late pick?
- Renaud Lavoie: The Penguins are looking to replace Pascal Dupuis through a trade. They plan to see what is out there, and then make a move after the Olympics.
- Mark Spector: Spector notes that Rangers Dan Girardi is a good defenseman, but why would the Rangers trade him. No chance that they get two top prospects for him. Jimmy Murphy: Murphy responds to Spector that the sad thing is, they might. They won’t get it from the Bruins as (a) Chiarelli is smart and (b) the Bruins don’t have that.
- Kevin Paul Dupont: Dupont thinks the Rangers will get more Girardi close to the trade deadline.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: (mailbag) The Oilers have UFAs in Ales Hemsky, Nick Schultz and Ryan Jones. Draft picks are the usual compensation for rentals, but the Oilers need prospects over picks. Matheson thinks they will listen to offers for both Devan Dubnyk and Ilya Bryzgalov at the deadline.
- Adrian Dater: Dater thinks that Avs defenseman Tyson Barrie will get traded.
- The Fourth Period: The Kings are looking for a scoring left winger for their top two lines. After the Carcillo trade, they have about $1.7 million in cap space. Trade chips could include: Kyle Clifford, Matt Frattin, Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin, draft picks and prospects.
- Howard Berger on Berger Bytes: The Maple Leafs may have to decide whether it will be Nazem Kadri or Randy Carlyle by the March 5th trade deadline. If they are to continue to develop Kadri, they’ll have to find a new coach. If Carlyle is to stay, Kadri is likely gone.
“ seems to be in a bit of a funk,” offered Carlyle in a early bid for personal understatement-of-the-year. “He seems to be standing still in a lot of situations. He’s falling down a lot… I’ve never seem him fall down on the ice when he’s got 100 per cent possession of the puck. , at the blue line, he finds a way to fall down. He’s surprised and we’re surprised that those types of things are happening to him.
“Our advice to him is to commit to the time off the ice , and when you’re on the ice, you work extremely hard and then you do extra… and that’s what he’s doing now. It’s the same for any pro. When things aren’t going well for yourself, you have to be selfish, take a look in the mirror and say, ‘I’ve got to work my way out of this.’ The old adage is put your nose to the grindstone and work your way through it.”
A Kadri for Nail Yakupov trade makes sense skill wise, but Yakupov would drive Carlyle nuts. A Kadri for Sam Gagner trade makes some sense. Gagner has two years left at a $4.8 million cap hit. The Leafs would likely have to make another move to make it work.
- James Mirtle: Maple Leafs defenseman Tim Gleason said that they had a handful of teams to think about waiving his no-trade clause for.
- Nick Kypreos: Senators assistant GM Tim Murray’s name won’t disappear with regards to the Sabres GM position. Bruce Garrioch: Murray’s name may emerge as the top candidate for the Sabres GM position. Hope Smoke: SportsNets Doug MacLean said that Murray will be the Sabres next GM. MacLean added that they haven’t named him yet as Murray was in Sweden for the World Junior Championship and hasn’t been able to get to Buffalo yet. Bob McKenzie: Murray appears to be the frontrunner and has had a second interview. Nobody has been told that they are out: Benning, Treliving and Futa.