- Slava Malamud via twitter: Alex Ovechkin, “If contracts get slashed, most players won’t return.” Ovechkin added that there are legal ways to stay in the KHL.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Taylor Hall won’t play any games with Oklahoma of the AHL until November. He has been skating with them, but still needs to get clearance from Edmonton doctors.
“It’s a bit of a weird situation…I know I just signed for $42 million but everybody knows I love to play no matter what they pay me, and right now they’re paying me when I’m not playing,” said the rehabbing Oilers’ forward, who is still getting his NHL salary in the minors, but not tugging on a Barons’ jersey, except for practices.
“I did take some face-offs yesterday (Friday) and today (Saturday). I did another drill where I had my arm extended, holding off somebody. I couldn’t do that last season (his shoulder was in bad shape even before Colorado’s Ryan Wilson stapled him into the boards in Denver 11 months ago),” said Hall. “The shoulder feels strong.”
- Edmonton Journal: Oilers forward Ben Eager was charged with assault last night following a fight at The Quail Pub in Toronto. Eager and his brother were charged with assault, assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon. The Eager’s were caught on surveillance assaulting the doorman.
- James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail: The Maple Leafs are basically the only team that has a need, desire, available assets and financials to take on Roberto Luongo. It’s not a done deal when the lockout ends, but it’s close. Luongo would prefer Florida, but they have Jacob Markstrom and they don’t want to give up anything of value for Luongo. There are 3 questions that come to mind on a Luongo to Toronto deal, “(1) does he want to play in Toronto (2) will the new collective agreement facilitate a trade and (3) do the Canucks see something they want in return?” The answer to #1 seems to be yes. The new CBA could throw a wrinkle in the Canucks future plans. The NHL proposed that if a player retires during a contract, the cap hit goes back to the team that signed him. There appears to players that the Canucks are interested in. Tyler Bozak or Nikolai Kulemin might interest the Canucks.
- Howard Berger of Berger Bytes: Berger has always felt that Luongo will end up in a Maple Leafs uniform. He would be their best goalie since Ed Belfour. The Leafs have missed the playoffs for 5 straight seasons.