- Larry Brooks of the NY Post: The Rangers had been rotating Matt Hunwick and John Moore as healthy scratches, but Hunwick has recently been more consistent and a little better according to coach Alain Vigneault. Hunwick holds the edge as their sixth defenseman and may lead to Moore being traded. The Rangers could be showcasing Moore, who will be a Group II free agent and is arbitration eligible. He’d likely be award an amount that is too much for the Rangers. He could be dealt at the deadline or in the offseason. Brooks wonders if the Senators would be interested in a Moore for pending UFA Marc Methot deal, or a package involving Moore? Could Moore be part of deal for Andrej Sekera (CAR) or Jan Hejda (COL).
- Craig Custance of ESPN: The Wild looked hard at Sabres Jhonas Enroth before they traded for Devan Dubnyk. Source said that Sabres GM Tim Murray wouldn’t come off the asking price, which was believed to be a second round pick.
- Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun: The Senators are 11 points out of the playoffs, with 13 games until the trade deadline day. Senators GM Bryan Murray when asked if they are still wanting to be a buyer.
“I don’t know what mode I’m in right now, to be honest with you,” said Murray, who acknowledged the Senators are not just in must-win, but must-streak territory. “I think we’ve got to win four or five games in a row, and give ourselves a chance to cut the numbers a little bit.”
- Nichols on Hockey: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 960 radio. The Sabres have been scouting the Red Wings AHL team in Grand Rapids quite a bit lately.Friedman thinks that Antoine Vermette would be a perfect fit in Montreal. Vermette is the type of player that GM Marc Bergevin trades for.
Friedman thinks the Leafs are testing what Dion Phaneuf’s trade value is, and that there definitely are teams who would be interested. He’s got six-years left at $7 million per season.
Friedman on 630 CHED: On Oliver Ekman-Larsson talk.
“That’s why I’m a little confused by this. Like I said, on Wednesday afternoon, he said that the two guys are Doan and Oliver, he said. And then I was just reading some tweets after a radio show – or I don’t know if it was a radio show, or he was talking to the media in Ottawa where they’re practicing today – and he said that Ekman-Larsson wasn’t an untouchable. I’m going to have to follow up because that’s not the same thing he said two days ago.”
Friedman wonders if Sabres Cody Hodgson would be a buyout candidate.
The Predators, Flames, Bruins and Senators have looked at Sabres Chris Stewart.
- Adrian Dater: There is skepticism among some of the NHL owners if a team in Las Vegas would work long-term. The thought of $500 million in expansion fees will keep them quiet though.