- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: (mailbag) Doesn’t see the Stars adding a rental. Dion Phaneuf is a good player but only if the price is right. Heika is thinking they may not do anything with their blueline at the trade deadline.If the Stars are sellers, Erik Cole and Shawn Horcoff are likely gone. A team may ask the Stars about Trevor Daley or Alex Goligoski.
If Kings Martin Jones becomes available, he could be an option for the Stars.
I don’t hate trade talk, I just find it dangerous. While fans can throw out any idea they want, I say one thing in a chat and our web guys blow it up into a sensational headline and then it’s on every trade talk website saying that the Stars are interested in Player X when it’s just me spit-balling on a chat. From my point of view, the less I talk about specific players the better. There was a time when we just reported, but that was a long time ago.
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: There is plenty of interest in Senators Chris Neil.David Legwand’s role has changed, but having another year left on his contract at $3 million makes him a little harder to move.
If Marc Methot doesn’t re-sign by the deadline, he’ll be moved. Both sides want to get a deal done, and will meet this week. He’d bring them a 2nd round pick if he’s dealt.
Chris Phillips has said he’d like to remain with the Senators.
They’ll need to decide if they won’t to keep pending UFA Erik Condra.
The Sens would like to move Colin Greening’s contract. They might buy him out in the summer if they can’t trade him.
Sabres Jhonas Enroth is a pending UFA and might get some interest from a team needing a backup goalie.
The Flames were watching Chris Stewart on Tuesday.
- Nicholas Goss: The Bruins top priority should be adding a top-four defenseman and not a top-six right winger.
- Stats Sundin: Pierre McGuire: “I’ve talked with a bunch of hockey people yesterday and Tyler Bozak is definitely a commodity that people would like.”
- Nichols on Hockey: Pierre LeBrun on TSN 690 on the Flyers.
“Not nearly as active as – I mean, I do think they’ll make a couple of moves, but I don’t think they’ll be nearly as active as they planned to be if – well, as they hoped to be, I would say, in the offseason.
“They have to revamp their blueline. They do have kids coming. Sam Morin comes to mind. There are prospects coming. But they have got to become a better defensive team. They have two of the top 5 scorers in the league, but yet probably don’t produce as much offense as they could team-wide because they spend too much time in their zone. Look for that tonight when you’re watching the Habs-Flyers game. They really struggle at transition at times and a lot of it starts with their issues on the blueline.
“So I think that’ll be an area of emphasis, probably even more so in June than now, but that’s where the focus and the work has to be for Philadelphia, is to be a quicker team and a more talented team on the back end.”