On Scouting the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins …
Hockey Inside/Out: Scouts listed to attend the Canadiens-Bruins game: LA Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.
On trade requests and the Arizona Coyotes …
Pierre LeBrun of TSN: Dating back to last season, four players have requested a trade and none of them were traded – Travis Hamonic, Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Drouin and Jacob Trouba.
The Arizona Coyotes and Martin Hanzal discussed a contract extension this offseason and during training camp. Term could have been an issue as the Coyotes may not have wanted to go long-term considering all the young players they have in their organization. Hanzal likely wouldn’t want to do a short-term deal. Need to keep an eye on the situation as the trade deadline approaches. The Coyotes may not want to add more draft picks and prospects, which is likely what teams will be offering.
On the New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks …
Luke Fox of Sportsnet: Islanders Jack Capuano and Canucks Willie Desjardins could be on the hot seat. Capuano is in the last year of his contract. Desjardins:
“When losses pile up, everybody gets on the hot seat,” Desjardins said this weekend. “I think that’s a common thing for the league. And it’s a fair thing; it’s not unfair. Especially when you’re not scoring.”
Nick Kypreos reported that Desjardins job is safe for now.
“There’s a lot of people thinking with this recent losing streak that Willie Desjardins may not even make the end of this road trip,” Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported on Hockey Night in Canada. “But I can tell you that his job is safe for now.”
On the Vancouver Canucks …
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Bob McKenzie on TSN 1040 talking about the Vancouver Canucks and if coach Willie Desjardins could be trouble.
“Well, anytime a coach starts to lose what – six, seven, eight, nine, 10 games in a row – you’re going to be in trouble. Let’s not kid anybody,” considered NHL Insider Bob McKenzie during a Tuesday morning radio hit on Vancouver’s TSN 1040. “Now having said that, I don’t think that Jim Benning’s got his finger on the button on the ejector seat and that Willie’s gone right now. They’re going to try and work through this. Every team in that situation has always got to consider all of its options.”