On the Toronto Maple Leafs …
- Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello isn’t saying much with regards to who he likes and believes in, and who he thinks the Maple Leafs could build around.
“We’re still finding out about everybody,” said Lamoriello, 73, who admits to being re-invigorated by his first-year job with the Leafs, frenetic as it has been.
“We have decisions to make at the end of the year,” he said. “Which of the veterans do we want here? You have a plan, but then you look at every possible direction. Is there something else we can do? You can’t leave anything unturned.
“We’ve tried to put ourselves in a position to be able to do anything that comes about, with no restrictions. We’ve opened up salary cap space. We’ve acquired draft picks. Whatever we think is needed, we’re going do. We can be flexible. That’s what I like about where we are.”
The Maple Leafs weren’t going to rush any of their prospects up this year, the their plan was always to promote some after the trade deadline.
On the Vancouver Canucks …
- Brad Ziemer: GM Jim Benning said reports that they have signed Nikita Tryamkin and that he is heading to Vancouver are not true.
- Brad Ziemer: Benning added that negotiations continue and they hope to get him released from his KHL contract, which expires on April 30th.
On the New York Islanders …
- Arthur Staple of Newsday: Travis Hamonic earlier this season made a trade request to Islanders management. He wanted to be closer to his family near Winnipeg. Thursday, the Islanders were in Winnipeg. A trade obviously didn’t happen at the deadline, so if there is a chance a deal could be worked out between the Islanders and Jets, it will have to wait until the offseason.
“We’ve known about and he’s still played his best hockey,” coach Jack Capuano said. “When that time comes, if it comes this summer, someone’s going to get a first-class player and a first-class person, I can tell you that. To have that on your mind and continue to play the way he has, it shows the type of player, the type of teammate Travis is.”