- Bob McKenzie via twitter: There has been zero movement on the LA Kings – Drew Doughty front. Doughty’s agent may try to generate an offer sheet but that isn’t easy. Dennis Bernstein via twitter: Bernstein responds to a question on whether it’s more of Doughty’s or Meehan’s wishes to still be unsigned … the agent and player are united.
- Dave Hodge via twitter: Some members of Jason Spezza’s family expect him to be a Maple Leaf. Hodge doesn’t believe it.
- Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun: Three months after Mason Raymond suffered a broken vertebrae in the Stanley Cup final, he’s still not sure if he’ll play again.
“At the end of the day, it could have been worse,” Raymond said. “I’m lucky to be standing here today with arms and legs moving. I’m still having some discomfort with some soft tissue, but it’s coming along well and I’m happy with the process.
“Whenever you have something in that area, you have a serous risk of having additional problems. So, yeah, I feel lucky.”
Raymond has worked on his conditioning but hasn’t done any heavy lifting, and he hasn’t skated yet.
- Randi Marshall of Newsday: A $346.5 million proposal was unveiled yesterday to renovate the Nassau Coliseum and make a sports-entertainment complex on the 77 acres surrounding the arena. The builder does still have some noncommittal responses from some key players in the deal. The private developer would spend $100 million to upgrade the Coliseum and raise the roof to increase seating. The plan also includes a ballpark, parking garage, an indoor rink, 70,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space.
- David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News: Sharks goalie Antero Niittymaki is considering surgery to fix his lingering pain from his lower-body injury. If he does, he’ll be out for 12 weeks. Martin Havlat is still not taking contact after his shoulder surgery in May. He’s been skating with Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture.
- Andrew Gross via twitter: Rangers coach John Tortorella likes the chemistry of the Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan line, and it’s very likely they will start the season together.
- Jim Matheson via twitter: Matheson thinks that Devan Dubnyk has the edge over Nikolai Khabibulin for the Oilers opening night starter.
- Terry Koshan and Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun: Maple Leafs prospect Joe Colborne will likely start the season with the Marlies.
“He is still learning,” Leafs coach Ron Wilson said Thursday. “One thing to me is, obviously, he needs to get a little stronger, but he knows that.
“We’re going to be patient with him. He’s learning the game and has tremendous hockey sense. (The NHL) is a man’s game. Everybody is stronger and quicker.”
The Leafs don’t know when Mike Brown will be able to return to practice. He has a lower-body injury.
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: The Senators have a tough decision on 2011 1st round pick Mika Zibanejad.
“He’s big and strong. He’s a man now. He’s not a kid. So, the learning curve could be very short for him. The way he played (Wednesday), he is showing us he’s close, he is showing us that he may be ready to play.”
- Curtis Zupke via twitter: The Ducks have sent Rickard Rakell, goalies John Gibson, Igor Bobkov and center Joseph Cramarossa back to junior.
- Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The Penguins cut 13 players yesterday: Brandon DeFazio, Brian Gibbons, Tom Kuhnhackl, Ben Street, Paul Thompson, Dominik Uher, Geoff Walker, defensemen Simon Despres, Alex Grant, Joey Mormina, Philip Samuelsson, Carl Sneep and goaltender Patrick Killeen.
