- Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post: The Flyers won’t be buyers leading up to the trade deadline according to GM Ron Hextall.
“We’re not gonna make a deal to try to put us in the playoffs,” Hextall said. “I believe we can make the playoffs with this team right now and quite frankly, to add a piece right now that’s gonna help us that’s gonna be better than what we have is gonna be very costly. We’re not going there.”
Trade rumors involving some of their young players are not true.
“Would it be nice to get some flexibility? Of course,” Hextall said. “Is it necessary right now? No, it’s not. We can do things at the draft and we can hold the way we have been.
“I can’t define any direction (regarding trades) right now because of where we’re at and I don’t know what would come our way in certain deal.”
- Terry Frei of the Denver Post: Avs Joe Sakic and Coyotes GM Don Maloney sat together in the upper-bowl, watching the Avs morning skate yesterday. No idea what they were talking about, but it would make sense if Keith Yandle’s name came up. The Coyotes would listen to offers and Avs could use a quality defenseman. A playoff-bound team may be willing to offer more than the Avalanche though.
- Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times: Lightning GM Steve Yzerman on their interest in adding a defenseman.
“I’d call it more a possibility or a consideration,” he said.
Radko Gudas is out for the regular season after knee surgery. The Lightning have a good list of prospects and two first round picks, but he’s not desperate to make a move.
“My sense is there’s no pressing need right now,” Yzerman said. “I think players that may be available are (on) teams that are asking more than I’m prepared to pay today. There’s no rush to do it. For teams that don’t consider themselves playoff contenders, there’s no rush to do anything. They can sit and see if they get what they’re looking for.”
Yzerman isn’t a big fan of giving up good assets for rentals.
“In general, I’m not a big fan of giving up premium assets and top high draft picks and top prospects for rentals,” Yzerman said. “In our state right now, I don’t think it’s appropriate, and a player to give that up for is not out there right now.”
“If we’re going to give up an asset to acquire a player, I feel he has to be better than the player he is going to take out of the lineup,” Yzerman said. “And then also, what is the cost to acquire that player? Is it worth that much?”
- Erik Erlendsson: The Lightning should look for a power play quarterback in the defenseman search.
- Jason Brough: If the Canucks were interested in Matt Bartkowski, they might be more so now with Alex Edler’s injury.
- George Richards: Quiet with regards to Panthers trade rumors.