- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Matheson has heard the 70-year old Glen Sather could be considering retiring as the Rangers GM.Trading Derrick Pouliot in a package for Ryan Kesler always seemed like a reach. Simon Despres made more sense. His confidence is shaken in Pittsburgh.
Joe Nieuwendyk isn’t sure if he wants to move his young family from Dallas to Calgary to take the GM post.
Matheson thinks the Lightning will buy out Ryan Malone after the season. He has a $2.5 million salary and $4.5 million cap hit.
Blue Jackets Ryan Murray tore his meniscus, which would keep him out for five weeks. He could return during a first round series.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Matheson wonders what the Oilers will do with Nail Yakupov. Do they see what they can get for Yakupov at the draft? Would the Sabres consider moving their first or possibly the Islanders first?
- John Hoven: Farhan Lalji of TSN said that Ryan Kesler had only five teams that he was willing to go to.
- John Vogl: Canadiens Thomas Vanek on deciding not to re-sign with the Sabres: “I just asked what direction this team was going in. No one really had an answer.”
- John Vogl: Canadiens Thomas Vanek on playing for three teams this year: “It was different, exciting, weird, all at the same time.”
- Elliotte Friedman of CBC: Markus Naslund resigned from his GM post with MODO. Canucks GM Mike Gillis said on the Team 1040 that he would reach out to Naslund, but Naslund said not to jump to conclusions.
“This has nothing to do with anything in North America,” he said. “This is a decision made here a little over a month ago, that I was not going to sign another deal. I’m ready to do something different.
“I can see why there is speculation. But there is nothing to the rumours.”
On if he’d be interested if Gillis called about joining the Canucks front office.
“I don’t know at this point,” he said. “I had a couple of inquiries a year ago or so, but it made no sense for me or us as a family. I’m going to take some time…and see what I’d like to do. I’m not ruling out anything. I didn’t take the job with MoDo with the NHL in mind. That was to help out an organization that was in rough shape.”