From twitter unless otherwise noted
- The Fourth Period: Coyotes GM Don Maloney would move Keith Yandle if he received the right offer, and Shane Doanis the only untouchable.
“Our game plan has been the same. We’re driven to get into the playoffs,” Maloney said, while speaking Saturday afternoon on The Fourth Period LIVE on NHL Network Radio.
“Other than Shane Doan, there’s nobody that we wouldn’t trade if the deal was right for us. Some players obviously more than others.”
It’s possible that the Coyotes are buyers and sellers at the deadline. Maloney added that he’s mainly talked to Eastern Conference teams about trades. The Coyotes are not close to re-signing goalie Mike Smith.
“The long and short of it is until we have out ownership settled, to look a contract that is of the term and the dollar amount that (Smith) certainly has in his mind, I’m just not comfortable looking at that until you have an ownership in place, you sit down, you look at what your budgets are going to be, and how you can structure a team going forward,” Maloney admitted.
“We would like to retain Mike, that would be our goal, but we’re certainly not in a position to do that now. The sooner our ownership gets settled, the better for everybody.”
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Oilers defenseman Ladislav Smidis looking for a long-term deal.
“I’d like a five years, around that term. Yeah five years at $3.5 million (a season), that would be nice. I’d be more than happy with that. Obviously you look around and see what other guys are making,” said Smid,
“I do think we’re getting closer (to a deal). Negotiations are pretty good right now. We have three days left and I’m really hopeful we’ll get a deal done. Obviously we have to have something done by Wednesday. I would hate to be traded. We have a great thing going on now and I’d hate to leave.”
The Oilers have come up recently in with their offers. Oilers GM Steve Tambellini will also have to decide what to do with their other UFAs: Ryan Whitney, Ryan Jones, Mark Fistric and Nikolai Khabibulin.
Whitney on trade talk,
“I’m trying not to think of things (trade destinations), but you hear things. If I don’t get traded, they want me here, I think. If I do get traded, it means another team wants me. It’s a win-win,” he said.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: The Oilers would consider drafting Aleksander Barkov with their first pick, but they’d need to get into the top five to do so. Canucks Roberto Luongo turns 34 on Thursday. Matheson can’t see them getting more than a 2nd round pick and a prospect for Luongo. They might be able to get Tyler Bozak from the Maple Leafs or they might have to take on someone’s mistake. Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis is available.
- Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington: The emergence of Braden Holtby doesn’t necessarily mean that Michal Neuvirth is on the block at the trade deadline according to Capitals GM George McPhee.