- Eric Macramalla: “Kesler/St. Louis have no-trades; ok to give to player; BUT trade demand should trigger a list of teams he can be traded to, otherwise the team will have difficulty getting a return on that player – so no trades are fine so long as qualified if trade demanded.”
- Katie Carrera of the Washington Post: Capitals Martin Erat said yesterday that he is still hoping to be traded. GM George McPhee said he planned to touch base with Erat.
“If he still wants to be traded, we’ll try to accommodate it,” McPhee said, acknowledging that with the NHL salary cap AT a low $64.3 million this season it’s been a challenge to oblige Erat. “It’s been a difficult year with transactions. had this been a typical year, we might have been able to move him within weeks of his request but that wasn’t the case this year.”
- George Richards of the Miami Herald: The Panthers don’t plan on having a big fire sale.
“We’re going to do what’s best for the Panthers to build a championship team,” Tallon said during the recent Olympic break. “We’re not blowing this thing up. If we can sell some assets to get better, we’ll do that. It depends what happens in the next few weeks. We’ll be aggressive either way.”
Interim head coach is hoping Tallon doesn’t trade his key players for draft picks.
“I don’t really want any draft picks. They don’t do me any good,” Horachek said. “I want to win these games, I want the guys to care about winning these games. I want the guys to put it on the line whether we have an opportunity or mathematically out. I want to make sure we care about winning these games.”
- Tom Gulitti: Martin Brodeur hasn’t spoken with Devils GM Lou Lamoreillo, but expects to at some point.
“There’s nothing that’s planned, so I’m just kind of sitting and waiting it out and we’ll see,” Brodeur said. “I’m sure I’ll be talking somewhat to him regardless of what happens in the next four games. But there’s no plan on doing anything.”
Jaromir Jagr continues to say that he’s not thinking about the trade deadline.
“If something were to happen, I think the other team would call first (to talk to him), like they did before,” Jagr said. “If they give up something, they have to make sure I want to go there. I don’t have a contract. I have one month left, so if I decide I’m not going (a team wouldn’t trade for him).”
- Chris Botta: The Islanders are insisting on a first round pick for Andrew MacDonald. He carries a low cap hit of $550,000. There is lots of interest.
- Bruce Garrioch: The Senators have spoken with several teams about potential trades, but there hasn’t been a fit.
- Hope Smoke: Darren Dreger: “I think Raymond is a possible trade piece over the next six days”
- Hope Smoke: Dreger: “The same applies to Raymond as it does to Kulemin. If there is a deal to be made that is a hockey deal Nonis will make it”
- Hope Smoke: Dreger: “If someone makes the Leafs a real solid offer on Bolland and he hasn’t softened on his contract demands Nonis will make that trade”
- Igor Eronko: Evgeni Kuznetsov: ‘Those 3 upcoming home games will be one of the last for me here. Ovi told me i’ll live in his house’
- ESPNs John Buccigross and Craig Custance talk trade deadline.