- The Fourth Period: The Kings don’t appear to be close to making a trade, though they are looking at add. GM Dean Lombardi has had a few discussion about potential deals this season, but nothing that could be labelled as serious. Any deal is likely to happen in the new year, closer to the trade deadline. It’s thought that they would like to add another winger and to bolster their blueline. They currently have $2.4 million in cap space.
- The Fourth Period: It’s taking the Canadiens longer to acquire some size and offense than they would have liked. GM Marc Bergevin has been looking for a top-six scoring winger. The Canadiens have about $3.5 million in cap space. Multiple reports saying they have been shopping Rene Bourque and Brian Gionta in order to free up cap space and to improve their roster. They have been linked to Jets Evander Kane, but it’s not known how in-depth trade talks have gotten. Bergevin is also in contract talks with P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov and Raphael Diaz.
- Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel: Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola.
“We intend on being in the free-agent market in a significant way” Viola said. “We’re here to build a winner. … We want to patiently win now. I don’t know if we can resolve the two logically, but that’s how I would say it.”
On if there is a premier free agent that is available that GM Dale Tallon wants, “We won’t hesitate, not at all,” Viola said.
“Dale Tallon will teach me the hockey side of this challenge, and he will execute it as its principal leader. The more I learn the better I will be able to support his commandership of the execution of that. But it’s been very exciting so far, and we are committed to winning now — patiently.”
- Jonathan Willis: Willis on Bruce Garrioch’s rumor that the Oilers could be interested in Hurricanes Justin Peters.
It’s an odd rumour, for a few reasons, including the fact that Edmonton has a full depth chart in net and just sent a comparable player in Jason LaBarbera to Chicago.
Most importantly, though, Justin Peters isn’t an especially good goaltender, despite his numbers this season. In 64 career NHL games the 27-year-old has a 0.905 save percentage. Among goalies with more than 50 games since 2009-10, that ties him with Scott Clemmensen, Joey MacDonald, Marty Turco and Antero Niitymaki. That’s two third-string goalies and two guys who have since been pushed into retirement.
The only scenario that may make sense is if they deal a deal basically in place to move someone out. A team like the Islanders may want to give Devan Dubnyk a test run.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Oilers Ales Hemsky on trade rumors:
“You know, I always used to pay attention at the deadline,” Hemsky said Monday in Los Angeles as the Oilers prepared to face the host Kings on Tuesday. “You check Twitter, you listen to what you guys (media) are tweeting. It can get you in your head.
“There have been rumours for so long, but I have to say this is the first year I’m not really thinking about it,” said Hemsky, whose two-year, $10 million contract ends July 1 when he’ll be an unrestricted free-agent — for the second time as an Oiler.
- Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen: Senators Robin Lehner on the No.1 goalie situation in Ottawa.
“This year, I’m the backup, I’ve said that a bunch of times,” Lehner says. “I’ve played a bunch of games, but it’s been weird circumstances – to go take over, because it’s not that time yet.”
“It’s not my time yet,” Lehner says. “There’s been a few times this year where people have said, ‘maybe now you can start running with him.’ But it’s not about that right now. It’s about us as a team – to get better.”
- Ryan Boulding: Scouting the Avalanche – Stars game: Flames, Blues (2), Oilers, Canadiens (2), Lightning and Penguins.
