- Tim Kavanagh of ESPN: Top five center trade targets: 1. David Legwand – The Blackhawks and Red Wings could inquire. 2. Steve Ott 3. Sam Gagner 4. Olli Jokinen 5. Nazem Kadri
- The Fourth Period: The Ducks are looking for a stay-at-home defenseman. Talks could heat up next week. The Ducks have talked to the Rangers about Dan Girardi. The Rangers are still trying to re-sign him, but if they can’t get a deal done, they will likely look to trade him. They could also look at Andrew MacDonald, Henrik Tallinder, Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Schultz. The Bruins, Avalanche and Red Wings also have some interest in Girardi.
- Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic: Coyotes GM Don Maloney on the inconsistent Coyotes:
“I really look at it and say it comes back to the leadership in your locker room,” Maloney said. “This is not a condemnation of (captain) Shane (Doan). I’m not pointing a finger at Shane whatsoever. This is the collective group … this group that’s been here for the last four, five years, that knows how we have to play and the focus we have to put in to have that group drag along the rest of the players. And that’s what has me doing a lot of soul searching right now.”
Maloney may be looking to increase their offense but …
“I don’t expect any massive changes with us,” Maloney said.
- Hope Smoke: James Mirtle on TSN Radio: “If the Leafs were being outshot by 2 a game then that’s ok. This is an extreme. They’re getting outshout by 8-9 a night” … “This is a problem that is ingrained in this team and that’s the main thing they need to fix to become a top 10 team in the league” … “I think the problem is three pronged: the blueline needs an upgrade, the system is a problem & they lack two way forwards”
- Hope Smoke: James Mirtle: “I don’t expect Reimer to be here next year. They’re going to lose good players this summer. Maybe Kulemin too”
- John Vogl of the Buffalo News: Linus Omark has not yet reported to the AHL after being waived by the Sabres last week. Omark has said in the past that he would rather play in Sweden than in the minors.
“I’m not really sure what the exact next steps are,” Epp said, “just trying to figure out where he can go, where they can reassign him, where they want to have him, where he’s going to be best-suited for them and their situation.”
The Sabres could assign him to a Swedish team.
“There’s a chance they could assign him there,” said Epp, who hopes to have a resolution in the next few days. “There’s a chance he’ll still report to Rochester and a chance they’ll have him back in Buffalo. Who knows right now? It’s kind of up in the air.”
