- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: The Rangers, Sharks, Bruins and Wings have made inquiries about Teemu Selanne. Sources say it’s up to Selanne if he wants to go to a contender or not. The Leafs have held talks with the Ducks about Ryan Getzlaf, be he’s off the market and may have not even been on it all. It would take 2 top prospects and a top pick for Bobby Ryan. Flyers are looking at Tim Gleason. The Flyers, Penguins, Panthers and Senators have interest in Hal Gill. The only way Rick Nash gets traded is if he asks for one. Don’t be surprised if Jeff Carter is traded by the deadline. The Sabres are likely to move other parts over trading goalie Ryan Miller. Teams are asking a lot for players at the moment, so there haven’t been many trades. The Hurricanes are asking for top prospects or 2 1st round picks for Jaroslav Spacek and Bryan Allen, Tuomo Ruutu and Tim Gleason. (My interpretation of this last statement was they want a top prospect for Spacek and Allen. A 1st round pick for Ruutu and Gleason.) Lightning coach Guy Boucher may not survive the season as the teams head coach. The Rangers are looking for a high end forward, possibly making a run at Selanne or Hemsky. The Oilers could listen to offers on Nikolai Khabibulin. The Lightning could look at Khabibulin and many believe Burke should go after a goalie. The Canucks may be looking at add some grit, possibly George Parros. Don’t expect a Cory Schneider trade, the asking price is “Stupid high.” The Penguins aren’t the only team to be interested in Dominic Moore.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Oilers defenseman Ryan Whitney will give his surgically repaired ankle one last shot .
“I have to give it one more try to play again this season. Hopefully it lasts for the rest of the year. If not, I’m probably done until next season”
“Maybe I can play before the all-star break. I think I’ll do the (fitness) test with Tom (coach Renney) Sunday and see how that goes,” said Whitney.
- Josh Koshman and Mark Everson of the NY Post: The NHL is talking with the Devils about advancing them money so they can operate through the season. Jeffery Vanderbeek would continue to run the team as they for a long-term financial solution.
“We can presume if the advance has not happened, it is going to happen soon,” a source close to the team said.
The Devils continue to lose money and haven’t been able to repay an $80 million loan that was due on Sept. 1st. Vanderbeek owns 47% of the team but can’t fund the losses. Billionaire Ray Chambers also owns 47% but he doesn’t want to fund the team. Vanderbeek has tried to sell Chambers share unsuccessfully. Chambers has tried to pay $24 million to lenders to get out of his financial guarantee.
- Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun: The 33 year old Olli Jokinen wants to retire a Calgary Flame. His leadership and play this year may give management reason to re-sign the UFA. Jokinen said he’d accept less money for a no-trade clause as his family loves Calgary.
- Adrian Dater of the Denver Post: Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier was at the Avalanche – Kings game last night. Dater noticed him talking with GM Greg Sherman. Also scouting the game were the Leafs, Penguins, Bruins, Blues and Rangers.
- Kevin Schultz of the Islanders Point Blank: The Islanders are negotiating a contract extension with center Frans Nielsen.
- Michael Russo of the Star Tribune: The Wild made defenseman Marek Zidlicky a healthy scratch last night. The Wild may look to deal him before the trade deadline, and there likely won’t be any issue with him waiving his no-trade clause. He’ll be 35 in a couple months and will make $4 million next year.
- Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times: Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. ‘‘We’ll see, and we’ll know more in the next day or so,’’ coach Joel Quenneville said.
- Philadelphia Flyesr via twitter: Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has said that Daniel Briere is out indefinitely with a concussion.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun: It “looks like” Jets forward Evander Kane has a concussion according to coach Claude Noel. Neither Noel or Kane know when it may have happened.
“Is it going to be a few days? Is it going to be a few weeks? You don’t know. But I’ll handle that the way I’ve had to deal with everything else. We have what we have.”
- Ben Meyer-Abbot of the Chicago Sun-Times: Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp should be able to return to the lineup sometime during their 9 game road trip that starts on the 31st.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: The Oilers could get a similar return to the Ponikarovsky trade (4th round and low-mid prospect) for defenseman Andy Sutton.