On the Blue Jackets …
- Aaron Portline of the Columbus Dispatch: GM Jarmo Kekalainen on trade talk at the GM meetings.
“There was good conversation,” Kekalainen said. “It is so hard to make deals in the league right now, but I think you’re going to start to see some movement here soon.”
Kekalainen has been trying to make some moves for weeks. He wants to improve his blueline. He also wants to let things settle under John Tortorella.
“We kept talking — you’re always talking, right? — but I wanted to give John time to evaluate some of our players, get his opinions,” Kekalainen said. “I’m getting some pretty good opinions out of him now.”
Kekalainen won’t make a move, just to make a move.
“I could have done something like that a long time ago,” he said. “You have to be smarter than that.
“I’m not going to do something stupid just to say I’ve tried something. That’s not how you handle the job. We’re going to do what’s best for the organization, always.”
Friedman’s 30 Thoughts …
- Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: The Patrick Marleau situation could take some time to play out. Forgetting about his salary for next season, some teams at the moment would have trouble fitting his salary in this year. Sharks GM Doug Wilson isn’t in a hurry – he can wait to see if offers improve and if Marleau’s trade list grows.
- The Ducks are a budget team and not a cap team. Not going to be an easy trade with the Sharks, if they even would want to make it. Early rumor was Marleau for Patrick Maroon and a draft picks. Wouldn’t count on it. Doesn’t make sense with Maroon locked into a good contract – $2 million a year until 2018.
- Would think the Sharks would like to get a first round pick for Marleau to replace the one they sent to Boston for Martin Jones.
- Some teams have speculated that Ryan Murphy could be wearing out his welcome with the Hurricanes. Hurricanes GM Ron Francis said that Murphy has taken some big strides this year.
- One GM thinks the Capitals would be the Eastern Conference favorite if they had a more offensive third line center. Jay Beagle is their current third line center.
- Some teams will look at 28-year old pending KHL free agent Vadim Shipachev.
- Everyone thinks that the pending KHL free agent Nikita Zaitsev will sign with the Maple Leafs.