Scouting the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks …
AJ Haefele: Scouts listed to attend last night’s Avs – Blackhawks game: regular scouts from the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes, amateur scout from the New York Rangers, Executive Director of Player Personnel from the Boston Bruins, Senior Pro Scout from the Los Angeles Kings and the Director of Player Personnel from the Minnesota Wild.
Scouting the Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues …
Bruce Garrioch: Scouts listed to attend last night’s Senators – Blues game: Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks.
Scouting the Anaheim Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning …
Adrian Dater: Hearing that the Avalanche’s assistant GM was at the Ducks-Lightning games last night.
On Patrik Elias and the New Jersey Devils …
Mike Coppinger of USA Today: Patrik Elias continues to rehab his right knee in hopes of playing again. He hopes to reach a decision on this season by early February. If he decides he can’t play this year, he would consider continuing his rehab over the summer and attempt a comeback next year.
“I feel good one week; next week I’m ready to jump on ice, then the next week I don’t feel so good and I’m ready to call it quits, so it’s hard,” Elias said. “It’s about me, it’s about if I feel good enough to jump on the ice and enjoy the game. That’s it. You want to be successful and have fun, and fun is winning.
“At the same time, you have to be honest with yourself. The game is changing and has changed so much and you have to know when the time is right for you to just go and do other things.”
When Elias feels his knee is good for two consecutive weeks, he’ll then talk to New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero about a PTO.
“Playing with another team hasn’t crossed my mind,” said Elias. “It’s hard to say. If it comes to the point I’m healthy enough, and I think that I can play, I can help someone, and this team won’t have space or room for me, I might consider maybe going somewhere else.”