Darren Dreger of TSN: If the Calgary Flames don’t make the playoffs after all the changes they made to ‘improve’ their team, GM Darryl Sutter could get axed. He made a bold move in trading Dion Phaneuf without bringing in a star, and changed almost a 1/3 of their roster before the deadline.
Chris McCosky of the Detroit News: Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has to be worried deep down inside about his goaltending situation. If Jimmy Howard struggles down the stretch, or in the playoffs, Babcock may have to ride it out. You see, his back up goalie, Chris Osgood, doesn’t play that often any more and will most likely be rusty. Osgood has only started 3 games in the last 3 months.
Hockey Night in Canada Hotstove Video: Will the NHL go the Olympics in Sochi? The success of the Vancouver games could be a bargining chip for Bettman.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Garrioch thinks Tomas Kaberle will be moved before the Draft. His 3 team list could have been the Bruins, Flyers and Rangers.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: Simmons thinks the Maple Leafs have to either trade Tomas Kaberle this summer, or sign him to an extension. It’s a tough decision, for every ‘if’, there is a ‘but’ … Some good lines from Simmons:
“The latest scorecard on the Phil Kessel trade: Both teams are losers at this point. The Bruins don’t have scoring from the wing. The Leafs don’t have those much-needed high draft choice”
“Everything about John Mitchell looks like an NHL player. And then the game begins”
“A medal update after four NHL Olympic hockey tournaments: Finland 3, Canada, USA, Czech Republic and Russia 2, Sweden 1. And how does that make sense?”
“Yzerman, by the way, should be the leading candidate for every available GM job now: He has grown by leaps as a public person and hockey administrator the last 12 pressure-filled months”
