- Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: To LeBrun’s understanding, the Ducks will have contract talks with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in the next 7 to 10 days. LeBrun thinks a Getzlaf deal will get done, but is not sure about Perry. It would be hard for the Ducks to trade Perry at the deadline considering they are challenging for first overall. LeBrun is guessing there is a real chance that the Ducks trade Perry at the trade deadline, regardless of what position they are in. LeBrun also doesn’t think the Ducks would trade Jonas Hiller this season.On the trade front:
“Nobody wants to take any significant money back,” said one Eastern Conference GM on Monday.
“The question I’m asking myself is why would I take on a player with three more years on his deal at $3 million or $4 million a year and then have that contract limit what I can do this summer?” a Western Conference GM told ESPN.com.
Teams like the Senators, Maple Leafs, Flyers, and Rangers have been put off by the high asking price for Avalanche’s Ryan O’Reilly.
“I just think they don’t really want to move him unless it’s a home-run offer,” said one Eastern Conference GM. “That’s their prerogative, really.”
Keep an eye on the Penguins if the Flames and Jarome Iginla decide to move on.
- David Staples of the Edmonton Journal: Sportsnet Doug MacLean on Team 1260 Radio yesterday talking about defenseman Ryan Whitney:
”Can they move Whitney?” MacLean said. ” I am hearing Whitney, the offers are not coming. There’s very little in the way of an offer for Whitney. I’m shocked by that. I haven’t seen him like you guys have, but has he dropped that dramatically that there’s not even offers for him out there?
“And then I heard the other day whispers that he could go on waivers. That can’t be true. But I did hear whispers of it on the weekend from a couple of agents and it shocked me. But it probably isn’t true, but as they say in P.E.I: I’m not telling you it’s the truth, I’m just telling you what I heard.“
- Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger: The Devils may look to trade for a top-6 forward that would bring some scoring. Chere wonders if they have enough to get a top-6 without having to give up defenseman Jon Merrill.
“I don’t have a no-trade, no-movement or any of those, so I know it can happen,” said defenseman Andy Greene, whose name often seems to come up when trades are the topic. “I know Lou is going to do whatever is best for the team that he sees fit. It that’s it, that’s it. I can’t argue with him about that. It’s not something I put a lot of energy or focus into.”
Greene said that trade rumors once use to be a distraction, but no longer.
“Honestly, no. That’s the business. I know any day you can be gone. You can be traded, put on waivers, sent down. I think maybe, in reality, my first and second year I kind of thought about it and made more of it than I should have just because it was my first time going through it,” Greene said.
Adam Larsson won’t be deal, and it’s unlikely that Bryce Salvador is moved. Scouts could be watching Henrik Tallinder when he’s playing.
- Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province: Gallagher thinks the Canucks still need to add a third line center. Though Jordan Schroeder may grow in to the spot, at the moment they need to improve there. They have an excess of wingers. Kevin Bieksa is expected back soon.
- Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly: There are rumors that the Flyers are interested in Dustin Byfuglien.