- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch: Though he’s been one of their more consistent players the past few season, Blue Jackets Mark Letestu could be traded by the deadline. Letestu is a pending UFA and contract talks have barely started.
“We’ve had talks to say that, basically, we should have talks,” Roy said. “That’s pretty much all we’ve had — just an agreement that we should talk. There’s pretty much been nothing there. I’m trying to figure out what the team is going to do. I don’t suspect they’re going to make the playoffs at this point.
“So are they going to start moving guys? I’m kind of waiting to see, to be honest with you.”
Pending UFAs for the Blue Jackets: Letestu, Curtis McElhinney, Jack Skille, Brian Gibbons and Jordan Leopold.
- Michael Smith of Hurricanes.NHL: The Hurricanes could be making Jeff Skinner and Riley Nash healthy scratches tonight.
“He’s an offensive player who needs to provide offense. You’ve got to provide that primary dimension as an athlete, doing what you’re paid to do. And if you’re not doing that, you’ve got to have a B-game,” Peters explained. “Right now, his B-game is not good enough to make up for the lack of offense.”
- Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk: (from Kypreos’s video below). Discussing the possibility of the Ducks trading pending UFA Matt Beleskey.
“Well how about a 19-goal scorer in Matt Beleskey. Believe it or not, there is talk that Anaheim may move him. Very seldom do you see a Stanley Cup contending team make such a bold move, but the fact remains he’s an unrestricted free agent.
“They’re not even close to term or money. He knows long-term that he’ll get a better deal somewhere else. So maybe the time is to move him now.”
- Eric Stephens of the OC Register: The Ducks and Beleskey’s agent have begun preliminary talks. The 26-year old is making $1.4 million this season.
“You do think about the future,” Beleskey said. “I want nothing more than to stay in Anaheim. I’ve never been anywhere else and I don’t think there’s a reason to go anywhere else.
This is where I’d like to be. Hopefully we’ll see what happens.”
Beleskey will get over $2 million, possibly between $2.5 and $3 million a season.
- Kypreos – The price for Sabres Chris Stewart still remains too high. They are looking for a top prospect in return. The sense is the Bruins are the closest to landing Stewart and “the feeling is that Ryan Spooner, a top prospect with the Boston Bruins may be in play, but still Tim Murray may want one more piece added.”