- Mark Lazerus: Doesn’t mean that he will be traded, but Patrick Sharp is in play.
- Tracey Myers: Source saying the Blackhawks have asked the Capitals about Joel Ward.
- Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington: Patrick Sharp and the Capitals came up in the rumor mill last night. Now Joel Ward’s name comes up.
“I’ve never been traded before, I’m just curious to see what that feeling would be like,” Ward said in a candid conversation with reporters on Thursday. “What goes through your head? I just never had that feeling before.”
“What happens?” he said. “All of a sudden you get shipped out. Where’s your mind at? What happens to your place? What if you have kids or a dog?
“That’s the hardest thing. I think about others. You can be right in the middle of something. You could be buying a house. I don’t like that. All of a sudden it’s like, you’re gone.”
Ward is a pending UFA. Sharp’s name raises the question: “Why would the Blackhawks consider trading him, especially with Patrick Kane sidelined 12 weeks with a shoulder injury, if they believe he can still be productive?”
- David Pagnotta: Talk getting louder regarding Patrick Sharp. Sharp has a limited no-movement clause. Have been told that the Capitals, Canadiens and Red Wings are serious interest.
- Randy Miller of NJ.com: The Flyers are still in it, but another lose could entice GM Ron Hextall to sell off some more assets, like Nicklas Grossmann, Luke Schenn and/or Braydon Coburn.
“There’s some things we have to flush out here,” Hextall said. “There’s a couple more games here, obviously one for us and for the other teams, so we’ll see where we’re at then. We’ll see what’s happening.”
“Focus shouldn’t be the fact that we’re looking at the future,” Hextall said, “because we’re (six) points out right now and we’ve got to win hockey games.”
- Steve Zipay: Rangers Mats Zuccarello on the rumors that teams have been told that he’s available: “Ive got a game today…try not to think about things.’
- Adam Kimelman: Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault on Zuccarello rumors: “Just keeping my fingers crossed that both the player and the organization can come to an agreement.”
- Dave Isaac: Think the Flyers have 50 contracts, but Sam Morin, Travis Sanheim and Robert Hagg can have their contracts slide, so they are at 47.