Scouting the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday
Dennis Bernstein: Scouts listed to attend Monday’s Kings-Blue Jackets game: Regulars – Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues. Not Regulars – Colorado Avalanche (2), New Jersey Devils (2), Carolina Hurricanes (Senior VP Rick Dudley), Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, Winnipeg Jets, and the Calgary Flames.
A quiet trade deadline for the Avs?
Adrian Dater: Don’t believe the Colorado Avalanche are in on LA Kings winger Tyler Toffoli anymore. Though things could change, sources saying that it’s not likely.
Adrian Dater: Believe now that it could be a quiet trade deadline for the Avalanche.
Bruins interested in Toffoli and Kreider
Jonathan Davis: Two sources are saying that the Boston Bruins could be targeting Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli again. The Bruins were close to trading for Toffoli last season.
Have been told that New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is the Bruins top choice though.
Penguins not in a rush to replace Guentzel
Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: The injury to Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel leaves a big hole in their roster. His $6 million salary cap hit can be LTIR’d, giving them the cap space to add. Since his injury, GM Jim Rutherford hasn’t been impressed with what other teams are offering him at the moment.
“I get the standard calls,” Rutherford said. “But some of the calls I’ve gotten the last week are just to give us depth forwards. It’s not to give us a top-six forward. That comes with time.”
The NHL trade deadline isn’t until February 24th, so Rutherford has plenty of time to work with.
“It’s more about getting a winger because we have the good fortune (that) our wingers can play both sides,” Rutherford said. “If a better right winger comes along than a left winger that makes sense in a deal, I don’t feel the pressure that we have to have a left-hand shot.”