On the Dallas Stars …
Craig Custance: (from a couple days ago) Contract talks between the Dallas Stars and Kris Russell are quiet. Custance notes that talks are also quiet between the Stars and Jason Demers.
On the Chicago Blackhawks …
Scott Powers: The Blackhawks were also trying to sign John Hayden, but he decided to return to school at Yale. They were also talking to Anthony Louis.
On the Detroit Red Wings …
Ansar Khan of MLive: (mailbag) Think that the Red Wings would have to package Teemu Pulkkinen or Tomas Jurco to move Pavel Datsyuk‘s contract.
It would probably take a seven year deal at between $9 million and 10 million to get Stamkos.
Doubt the Red Wings will be able to unload Jimmy Howard‘s $5.3 million cap hit and they are not retaining half his salary to do so.
David Backes could be a good addition for the Red Wings.
On the Calgary Flames …
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Pierre LeBrun on TSN 1040 on the Flames.
The Flames are among the teams that have inquired about Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, and he’s just one of the goalies on the Flames list. Frederik Andersen was another goalie they’d been tied to. Brian Elliott is another goalie to watch with regards to the Flames. Teams are calling the Blues about Elliott. LeBrun doesn’t know if the Blues want to bring him back for the last year of his deal, or if they’d rather move him now.
“Well, we don’t know until we hear from them. I will say this. I do think a lot of people view the Flames as a team that is a goalie away from being a playoff team again. A team on the rise. From that perspective, I think winning is probably the most important thing for Marc-Andre Fleury.
“So I don’t know for sure if Calgary would fit his criteria, but if you’re asking me to guess, I would say yes. I think Calgary would fit that criteria.”