- TSN: Bob McKenzie: Panthers GM Dale Tallon and Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis haven’t held one specific conversation about Phil Kessel. There would be general interest in him if the circumstances were right, but that type of deal is more for the offseason. Tallon won’t be interested in parting with Nick Bjugstad, Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, guys the Leafs would be interested in.Nonis continues to get calls. It’s not likely the Maple Leafs trade Kessel or Dion Phaneuf by the deadline. The odds of Tyler Bozak being traded is better than Kessel or Phaneuf, but no better than 50-50. The Leafs would need more than just prospects and picks for Bozak, they’d need some young NHL ready talent.
- The Fourth Period: The Ducks and Red Wings are looking for defensemen. Both were interested in Tyler Myers and Cody Franson before they were dealt. Some of the bigger names that are said to be available are Dion Phaneuf, Keith Yandle and Zbynek Michalek. Other defensemen include Jeff Petry, Andrej Sekera and Andrew Ference. There is no guarantee that Ference will be moved, but teams are calling to see if he’d welcome a change of scenery. The Penguins and Canadiens may also be looking for help on the blueline.
- Nichols on Hockey: Pierre LeBrun on TSN 1050 on Phil Kessel.
“I’ll tell you right now, if the Kessel derby gets going this summer, it wouldn’t surprise me if Calgary at least looked at it.
“Now, he’s not GM. And he would adhere to Brad Treliving, but I’ll tell you right now it wouldn’t surprise me if they were part of that mix. And there’s a few other teams I won’t name, because they’ve been asked not to be named, but I know that they also would get in on it.
“But I think what’s going to be interesting to me is this when the times comes on Kessel: Is this going to be about simply getting rid of this contract and getting very little in return, or is it if the Leafs are willing to eat some of the contract, then you can get something in return because he is a very good offensive player. Those are two different transactions. And I don’t think you’re pulling both off in the one deal.”
LeBrun on TSN 1040: Bruins source said they are not planning on trading Malcolm Subban. Don’t think the Canucks are shopping Shawn Matthias, but if he’s needed to make a ‘hockey deal’ it could happen. LeBrun thinks the Canucks may rather move Zack Kassian over Matthias.
Darren Dreger on TSN 1040 on if the Hurricanes are motivated to move Eric Staal.
“Well, I think you have to have that conversation, don’t you. And as an organization, as a management group, ownership would be involved in that decision as well. You’ve got to bat it around.
When we started speculation on that possibility in the first half of the season, early in the regular season, there wasn’t a lot of pushback coming from Carolina to say, ‘Well, that’s never going to happen.’
“But there was some behind-the-scenes pushback from not specifically Eric Staal, but from those who represent him to say, ‘Look, if that’s ever going to happen, obviously it’s going to come either at the request or the sign-off of Eric Staal.”
The Hurricanes would like to move Cam Ward as they’d like to lower they payroll. If Staal is going to leave Carolina, it’s going to be on his terms.