- Hope Smoke: Bob McKenzie: “I think there are a lot of names that are in play on the trade market and things are going to get interesting”
- Renaud Lavoie: Jason Spezza has given the Senators a list of 10 teams that he doesn’t want to be traded too.
- Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen: The Ducks and Blues are the favorites to land Spezza, with the next group including the Predators and Stars. A couple weeks ago it was suggested in the Citizen that the Senators could be looking at a package that included Andrew Cogliano or Nick Bonino as one of the three pieces they are looking for from the Ducks. One of the Ducks two first round picks would need to be included. The Blues could be willing to part with Patrik Berglund as part of a Spezza deal. Kevin Shattenkirk and Ian Cole could also be available.
- Nicholas Goss of NESN: From Darren Dreger’s Insider Trading report on Vincent Lecavalier:
“He’s a fourth-line forward making $4.5 million and I can’t believe that (Flyers general manager) Ron Hextall is going to want to pay him that,” Dreger said on Wednesday’s edition of Insider Trading.
“So the word on the street is yes, Lecavalier most definitely is in play. But keep in mind that he has a no-move clause. I know that his agent, Kent Hughes, has already talked to Hextall about the possibility of moving his client. There are no specific teams yet, there’s no list, but if they want to move him they are going to have to go to Vinny and identify a specific place.”
Lecavalier has four years left on his contract. The Flyers may have to retain some of his salary to make a deal happen. There are a few team that will be close to the salary cap floor that might need some scoring help.
- John Boruk of CSN Philly: Lecavalier is owed $16.5 million over the next four years, $6 million for next season. If the Flyers retained half is salary, the $8.25 million over four years may interest some teams. Moving Lecavalier would free up some cap space for the Flyers and open up a roster spot. They wouldn’t get much for him, maybe a draft pick. Lecavalier would have to waive his no-movement clause. Some potential trading partners could be the Predators, Senators, Panthers, Stars and Flames.