Howard likely to remain with the Red Wings
Ansar Khan of MLive: The Detroit Red Wings have been happy with pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Jimmy Howard, and Howard is happy being in Detroit.
Howard will be 35-years old in March and carries a $5.29 million salary cap hit this season.
There has been some speculation that the Red Wings will look to trade Howard at the trade deadline for a draft pick. Jonathan Quick‘s injury in LA sparked some speculation that maybe the Kings would be interested.
Despite all the speculation it appears Red Wings want to keep Howard and are interested in signing him to a multiyear deal. The Wings have Jonathan Bernier under contract, but they don’t have any prospects that are NHL ready yet – Filip Larsson, Keith Petruzzelli, and Joren van Pottelberghe.
Kings not looking at the goalie market
Lisa Dillman: When asked if the Kings would look at goalie market now that Jack Campbell joined Quick in the shelf, GM Rob Blake said they would be going with Peter Budaj and Cal Petersen.
Could the Penguins and Ducks be trade partners?
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Elliotte Friedman was on Sportsnet 960 and was asked if the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks would be potential trade partners.
Friedman thinks that two being trade partners makes a lot of sense. Bob Murray and Jim Rutherford are GM’s like David Poile who are from an era that you make trades just to shake things up.
“And don’t forget a couple of years ago they did one – it was David Perron for Carl Hagelin. So it just seems to me it makes a little bit of sense. It may not happen, but there’s some logic to what I said there, as opposed to most of the other things I say.”
Daniel Sprong‘s name has been brought up in the rumor mill. The big four of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and maybe Kris Letang are likely off limits. They like Brian Dumoulin but after that?