- Nick Kypreos via twitter: Predators defenseman Shea Weber has a hearing today at 2:00 pm for a boarding call last night.
- Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: Flames GM Jay Feaster:
“I’m not going to sit around and wait”, Feaster told ESPN.com Thursday. “There is urgency here. There’s very much a sense of urgency. We kept this group together for a reason this summer. We articulated what that was and articulated to the players. They talked about the need to get off to a good start. We saw what happened last season when you dig yourself a hole. We played like our pants were on fire in the second half last year and it wasn’t enough. We’re all paying lip service to what we needed to do. Now we need to do it.”
“Obviously I’m making phone calls and people are making phone calls to me,’’ said Feaster. “It’s not something I’m looking to do, I want to win with this group. That’s what I want to do.
“We like the team we have. But we talked repeatedly about it all summer and in camp, the need to get off to a good start.’’
Senators GM Bryan Murray:
“Yes, and I hate to say this, but if there’s a need on another team for a veteran defenseman, we’ll probably one have available that we’d be willing to talk about.’’
Sergei Gonchar still has another year left at $5.5 million and a no-movement clause.
- Adrian Dater of SI.com: Dater runs through some players who could be traded, and who might be interested. 1. Rene Bourque (CAL) – The Avalanche could offer one of their top 3 defensive prospects and/or throw in winger TJ Galiardi. 2. Jay Bouwmeester (CAL) – Dater wonders about a Bouwmeester for Tuomo Ruutu deal. 3. Lots of Blue Jackets – Rich Nash is due between $7.5 and $8.2 million until 2017-18. The last 6 years of Fedor Tyutin’s deal are for $4.5 million. Marc Mathot has a 4 year deal at $3 million. James Wisniewski has a 6 year deal. Dater notes that other than Nash, the others may not get much interest. 4. Derek Morris (PHO) on a 3 year, $2.75 million per deal – Dater proposes a Morris for Alex Tanguay deal. Tanguay signed a 5 year deal at $3.5 million. Dater says that Olli Jokinen makes sense too. Adrian Dater via twitter: Some of the trade scenario talk was meant to have some humor too.
- Eric Engels via twitter: As for Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier giving Andrei Markov a 3 year deal, Gauthier said mid-season last year that they weren’t concerned about Markov’s rehab. That his injuries didn’t factor into their desire to want him to return and his want to re-sign with the Canadiens.
- Josh Yole via twitter: Evgeni Malkin is looking better as practice goes on today. Will be interesting to see if he’ll play tomorrow.
- Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette: Canadiens forward Scott Gomez left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. He was initially hurt after taking a hit from Engelland, tried for one more shift after, but then left.
- Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer: Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen injured his hand blocking a shot and it’s not known if he’ll play tomorrow.
- Sam Carchidi via twitter: Daniel Briere is centering Jakob Voracek and Scott Hartnell. Giroux is centering Jagr and Schenn. Read is centering Simmonds and JVR. Couturier is centering Talbot and Shelley/Nodl.
- Marc Antoine Godin via twitter: Canadiens lines: Cammalleri-Plekanec-Gionta, Pacioretty-Desharnais-Cole, Moen-Eller-Kostitsyn, Darche-Engqvist-Palushaj.
- Rich Chere via twitter: Devils lines: Parise-Elias-Zubrus; Kovalchuk-Josefson-Palmieri; Tedenby-Sykora-Ckarkson; Boulton-Mills-Pelley-Janssen. Defensive pairings: Greene-Larsson; Tallinder-Fayne; Salvador-Volchenkov
- Jeremy Rutherford via twitter: Looks like Nikitin, Reaves and Chorney are scratches from the Blues. Brian Elliott will be starting in net for the Blues tonight.