On the San Jose Sharks …
Paul Gackle of the San Jose Mercury News: It’s unlikely the Sharks will be able to find an offensive replacement for Patrick Marleau on the trade market. For cap reasons, the Sharks weren’t able to keep both Joe Thornton and Marleau last offseason.
Acquiring high-end/franchise type players isn’t easy.
“They’re hard to replace, too. We had one leave, Patty Marleau. Those guys that play at that level, it’s a short list,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “And even more importantly, centermen. They’re like goaltenders or top-two defensemen, it’s hard to find, but you have to have them.
“You look at the teams that win at the end of the day, they’re all deep up the middle.”
If the Sharks are able to find an available scoring forward, it will likely cost them a young defenseman, which is a position of strength for them at the moment.
Joakim Ryan might be one guy they could move.
They need Tim Heed‘s offense and Dylan DeMelo may not have enough trade value.
On the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1050 and was talking about the New York Rangers, and Montreal Canadiens early struggles and but have since turned it around. Those GM were working the phones. The Rangers could still use a center, and they aren’t the only team that could be interested in making a move.
“Yeah, they need a center as much now as when they weren’t .500. And they were in on Duchene. They wanted Duchene badly, but not enough to give up defenseman Brady Skjei, which was what Colorado was insisting he be part of the package.”
McKenzie notes the Bruins have been hit hard by injuries so far this season.
“So I think Don Sweeney wants to make a trade. He wants to upgrade his forward group. He wants to upgrade his defense. But he hasn’t really even seen what his team is like healthy.
“So as I said, there’s a whole bunch of teams that yeah, they’re interested in making a move. I just don’t get the overwhelming sense that that they’re ready to make it at any cost, and we’ll get something here in the next day or two.”
