On the Montreal Canadiens …
Darren Dreger: Expect that Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin confirms this weekend or next week that Michel Therrien will be back.
On the Vancouver Canucks …
John Shannon: Canucks GM Jim Benning will be meeting with Thatcher Demko, his family and representatives today at noon in Tampa.
Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk: A month ago Canucks GM Trevor Linden on head coach Willie Desjardins: “there’s no reason for us to consider a change.”
GM Jim Benning yesterday on if there will be any doubt that Desjardins will be back next season after the team has only three wins in their past 13 games.
“Well, as of today, no,” Benning told TSN 1040 radio.
On the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders …
Chris Nichols: Darren Dreger on TSN 1260 on if it could be last time that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall are all together in the Oilers lineup.
“I think it is likely. Will one be impacted by change – obviously trade – or will it be more than one. That’s what we don’t know.
“What we do know as well though is that Pete Chiarelli is dealing from, I believe, a position of weakness now. Garth Snow and the New York Islanders have made it fairly clear now going on for the better part of a year, where Edmonton is concerned, what they need for Travis Hamonic. And what they need back is a like young defenseman under a similar contract scenario.
“So guess what. Chiarelli is going to have to bite down hard here. Is it Oscar Klefbom? I think it is. Is that going to be enough? I don’t think it is going to be enough. So what other piece is it going to take to acquire that defenseman.
“And if you’re still concerned with, again, the core, or the culture of this club, who else becomes a primary target. Klefbom isn’t part of the core or the culture, if the culture is a concern yet, but Nugent-Hopkins would be. Eberle would be. Taylor Hall most certainly would be. So there’s some real tough decisions that Peter Chiarelli and the brass of the Edmonton Oilers have to make.
