- Sam Charchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer: Flyers winger Simon Gagne, who broke is foot in game 4 against New Jersey, may suit up tonight for game 4 versus the Bruins. Gagne had an MRI done yesterday, and after his Friday morning skate, it will decided on if he’ll be in the lineup tonight.
- Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald: Bruins center David Krejci will be lost for the rest of the playoffs after dislocating his wrist in a hit from Flyers Mike Richards.
- Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: A reader inquires if Matt Cooke has priced himself out of Pittsburgh for next season. Cooke’s solid play as a 3rd line winger will garner a raise from his 2009-10 salary of $1.2 million, but he probably won’t receive a huge offer on the open market. The Pens would probably like to bring him back if it’s at a reasonable number.
- Ansar Khan of MLive: Red Wings GM Ken Holland was asked by owner Mike Ilitch to become the team president and have Steve Yzerman take over the GM duties. “Stevie Y wants to become a GM; we’d love to have him as a GM,” Ilitch said. “I keep telling Kenny, ‘Hey, I want to move you up to president.’ He goes, ‘I don’t want to be a president, I want to be a GM.’ So he’s going to stay there as GM.” Holland has one year remaining on his contract, and should be signing an extension after the playoffs.
- Chris McCosky of the Detroit News: Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was approached about the possible retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom …
Babcock: “Did Nick tell you this might be his last year?”
Reporter: “He said he would address it at the end of the season.”
Babcock: “I’ve been here five years and he’s been addressing it at the end of the season for five years.”
Nobody in the Red Wings organization wants to ponder life without their captain. Both Babcock and general manger Ken Holland are cautiously optimistic about Lidstrom, 40, returning for at least one more season.