- David Pagnotta: The Rangers will trade Michael Del Zotto at some point, and they’d obviously like to do so, sooner than later.
- The Fourth Period: A perfect world would have the Rangers trading Del Zotto for a second line scorer. The Senators, Oilers and Hurricanes have shown interest. Tuomo Ruutu doesn’t interest the Rangers. The Flames, Stars and Sabres are said to have some interest.
- Hope Smoke: Darren Dreger: “I think defensively this team is lost. It’s becoming more and more evident that Nonis is going to have to step in here”
- Hope Smoke: Steve Simmons and Dreger ripping Nikolai Kulemin on TSN Radio: “This is a player that the Leafs package. Many around the league really like Kulemin”
- Corey Sznajder: Dreger on NHL on the Fly: “It’s my sense that Tim Gleason will be moved very soon.”
- Hope Smoke: Bob McKenzie on TSN Radio: “LaFontaine is going down the path of exploring young assistant GMs who have been around for awhile”
- Hope Smoke: Darren Dreger: “Relationships are very important when making deals but it starts with $. Everything needs to be dollar in and dollar out” … “This is a big reason Ottawa hasn’t made a deal yet. There is great interest there in Del Zotto but they’re also a budget team”
- Hope Smoke: Dreger: “I look at a team like the Blues as a good fit for Ryan Miller“
- Hope Smoke: Dreger: “Tyler Myers’ name, believe it or not, has crept into trade talk”
- Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk: Bob McKenzie on Jets forward Evander Kane.
“Curious situation in Winnipeg because he’s not asked for a trade, and the Jets aren’t shopping him so why is his name even out there? Well, one goal in twelve games, you saw the Claude Noel news conference in the last week or two and it was after a game Kane had played particularly poorly… Noel froze and thought better of and said ‘not going there.’
There’s tension and people can’t figure out fully whether it’s that Evander does not really like it in Winnipeg or with the Jets? Are the coaches unhappy with him, how has he fit in with the team? And so outside people looking in are saying ‘one goal in the last 12 games, minus player more than not, still playing 21-25 minutes a night…is he available?’ And nobody’s really gotten to that point yet, but they’re kind of waiting to see if this guy might be available.”
- The Fourth Period: Sources saying talks between P.K. Subban and the Canadiens are still in the beginning stages. The Canadiens reached out at the beginning of the month, but a new deal is not close. It is thought that Subban is looking for a deal in the $8 million range. The Canadiens have also had talks with pending free agents, Andrei Markov and Raphael Diaz.