- Craig Custance of ESPN: Surveying 10 agents on the three most commonly listed teams on players no-trade lists: 1. Edmonton (5 first place votes) 2. Winnipeg (4 first place votes) 3. Buffalo (1 first place vote) 4. Ottawa and Toronto (tied). Other mentions: New Jersey, Florida and Arizona.
- Ken Campbell of The Hockey News: A team looking for some inexpensive help may turn to Devils Scott Gomez. He’s a pending UFA and has recorded 22 points in 30 games this season. Gomez is making the league minimum, $550,000. It may only take a marginal prospect or mid-round pick to get him.
- Patrick Williams of NHL.com: Sabres Drew Stafford didn’t practice yesterday, but could play tonight. When he does return, they’ll move Dustin Byfuglien back to the blueline. The Jets will have a decision to make on pending UFA Michael Frolik. He can play in the top-nine and on special teams. Does GM Kevin Cheveldayoff look to move Frolik or lose him for nothing in the summer if they can come to terms with him? If they do move Frolik, it would leave a hole in their top-nine that is already without Mathieu Perreault.
- Nichols on Hockey: Dreger on TSN 1290. Ryan O’Reilly will be a UFA after next season and he’s going to want more than $6 million, maybe up to $7 million. Not convinced the Avalanche will trade him, and if they do, it would take a lot to get him. If a team is going to give up the assets to get him, they’ll want to know if they have a shot at extending him.Dreger on TSN 1050 on the chance of the Bruins trading Zdeno Chara.
“No, they’re not in the rebuild mode yet. I think that there’s very little chance that Zdeno Chara is traded, certainly between now and March 2. Maybe, and this is a big maybe, that conversation is had internally going into the summer and into draft.
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: (mailbag) On a Dion Phaneuf trade to the Stars ….
I’m a fan of Phaneuf. I think he would help make the team better. But there a lot of moving parts on whether a trade would be a good trade or a bad trade. I think there are several teams pondering how to make that deal work.
(different question) Guess is that the Stars don’t want to trade prospects like Valeri Nichushkin, Brett Ritchie and John Klingberg. They may be more open to moving Jamie Oleksiak and Jyrki Jokipakka.