- Stan Fischler: Evgeni Nabokov tells Fischler that it appears to be time to “hand up the skates.” Erik Erlendsson: Nabokov’s agent, Don Meehan, said that he’ll take a few days to “consider his future.”
- Shawn Mitchell: Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen left for a European scouting trip to the Czech Republic and other undisclosed locations. He’ll be back next week. Kekalainen will watch the U-18 tournament in the Czech Republic, as well as some of their current prospects and some potential draft picks.
- John Vogl of the Buffalo News: Sabres Chris Stewart has four goals and six points in his last five games, potentially increasing his trade stock. Stewart knows his days in Buffalo could be numbered.
“I really enjoy being here,” he said. “I really enjoy the guys we have in the room here. It’s out of my control. I’ll just take it one game at a time and worry about putting the best product on the ice.”
“It’s definitely tough not knowing your future,” he said. “We’ve got the twins now, and we definitely want to find some security and get set up and raise our family somewhere, but that’s the nature of the business. It’s not really in your control.”
- Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times: There is a very small chance that Johnny Oduya will be back with the Blackhawks next season, and he knows it as the money won’t be there for him. He’s focusing on what is happening between now and June and not on things after July 1st. Oduya has been dropped to the third pairing with Michal Rozsival.
“I have no idea, really, what’s going on,” Oduya said of his future. “I think every year you go into, it’s a new year. If you’re on a longer deal like Kane and Toews, maybe you have a different approach. But I think for everybody, what you’re doing right now is what you focus on — the season at hand. It’s just about winning as many gams as possible, and what happens in the future is in the future. Sometimes, you don’t get to decide that stuff. So all you can do is play your best, and have fun.”