Scouting the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks …
Dave Isaac: Scouts listed to attended last night’s Flyers-Canucks game: Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, St. Lous Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins (assistant GM Bill Guerin).
On the Florida Panthers …
Jason Brough: A non-Vancouver Canucks source said that the Panthers still like defenseman Erik Gudbranson. Source added that they are not the only team that is interested.
On Danis Zaripov …
Igor Eronko: Right after Danis Zaripov was suspended by the IIHF, he said he had an offer from the New York Rangers, but the league wouldn’t allow him to sign it. When he was eligible to sign an NHL contract, the Rangers had changed their mind. Recently he had received a PTO offer from the Blues.
On the Montreal Canadiens …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Darren Dreger on TSN 1050 on his thoughts about the Montreal Canadiens.
“It’s a tough one to nail down exactly,” he considered. “Right now Montreal is also looking for a defenseman. They’d like to add a center. The needs of the Montreal Canadiens are almost the same as they were before they made the big move in acquiring Jonathan Drouin. And this is not a slight against Drouin. His productivity is down, but many believe that that’s because he’s a better winger than he is a center. But in Montreal, if you put Jonathan Drouin on the wing, who’s playing center for him. They don’t have a No. 1. They don’t have a No. 2. And then you can kind of debate their No. 3 after that.”
Dreger was on TSN 690 on Monday talking about the Canadiens and Brendan Gallagher.
“I had a team on the weekend ask me about Gallagher, do I think the Canadiens would trade Gallagher. And my instant reaction was, ‘No, I don’t unless it’s for a big defenseman that you’re getting back or a piece that obviously is going to make you better,’ because when I look at Brendan Gallagher – and correct me if I’m wrong, you guys see him on a night-in, night-out basis and I watch from afar – he still kind of exudes the work ethic and culture of what you’d want a team to be about, doesn’t he? When you start moving pieces like that, it gets real dark.
“But it almost feels, again in that game of what if, it feels like that’s where the organization is going to have to get to if things don’t turn around here in the very near future.”