[h3]Kovy on the block -- officially?[/h3]
8:41AM ET
[h5]Ilya Kovalchuk |
Thrashers[/h5]
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Is
Ilya Kovalchuk officially on the block? For the first time, GM Don Waddell admitted that there may be troubles in his negotiations with his star. "Our position is different than his position right now," Waddell told
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Their position is fixed years with money and we have a different side of that."
It's rumored he wants a 10-year deal worth $11.3 million a season -- the maximum allowable contract in accordance with the collective bargaining agreemenet -- but GM Don Waddell has said he isn't willing to give it.
So here's a list of where he might end up:
Toronto Maple Leafs: They might
save up and spend it all in one place.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=bosBoston Bruins: The Bruins have the pieces, but they have money issues -- and Kovalchuk wants a lot of money.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=phiPhiladelphia Flyers: The Flyers may also be interest, but there's a lot they have to take care of before working out a deal of this magnitude.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=losLos Angeles Kings: There was a lot of buzz about this one, but two sources say
this rumor is false.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=cgyCalgary Flames: Calgary GM
Mike Gillis' denied the rumors, as did other Canucks sources in the media, but it's possible they are playing this one close to the vest.
KHL: KHL president Alexander Medvedev
might also swoop in with a huge deal. He said he's already talked to Kovalchuk and can offer a better deal than the NHL because of tax laws.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=colColorado Avalanche --
Here's why.
http:// [h3]Oilers collecting another big name?[/h3]
8:35AM ET
[h5]Edmonton Oilers[/h5]
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The
Edmonton Oilers have a habit of collecting big names -- it's almost a goal of theirs. So a frustrated
David Staples from The Cult of Hockey writes that he wouldn't be surprised if he saw a trade for, say,
Vincent Lecavalier.
"Rather than dismantle the Oilers, isn't it more likely they would place some new bet on some new aging hockey ace, such as Vincent Lecavalier? I can see a
Tom Gilbert,
Andrew Cogliano,
Fernando Pisani and Jordan Eberle for Lecavalier trade right now," he writes.
Instead, Staples says they need to dismantle the team. But it seems unlikely, despite all the rumored trades out there that have them trying to dump big-salaried veterans.
Staples adds, "This management team bet on this group of veterans, and it was a poor bet, and things are going to get worse unless someone can figure out a way to trade off some of these vets and build the Oilers in a different manner, almost certainly through the draft and through the judicious signing of no-name vets, as opposed to big name players."
http:// [h3]How Dubinsky affects trades[/h3]
8:28AM ET
[h5]Brandon Dubinsky |
Rangers[/h5]
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The
New York Rangers are not only looking for a scorer, but they've been rumored to be looking for a playmaker to set up
Marian Gaborik.
But as
Ranger Rants writes, "The chemistry that
Brandon Dubinsky is showing on the top line, particularly with Marian Gaborik, should be a good step in kickstarting the Rangers' offensive output."
This might mean the Rangers' urgency in trading for a scorer or playmaker might be lessened slightly. However, GM Glen Sather's seat is getting hotter and hotter so he might be working the phones over the holiday trade freeze.
http:// [h3]Team USA's most dangerous weapons[/h3]
8:24AM ET
[h5]Ryan Miller |
Sabres[/h5]
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Like most years, Team USA is an underdog in the upcoming Olympics. But
ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun writes that there's one way the U.S. could surprise the world.
"Canada, Russia and Sweden are the top three favorites, but the player who can make the difference for underdog Team USA is
Ryan Miller," he writes. "The
Buffalo Sabres netminder would arguably be handed the Vezina Trophy if the award were given out today, as underlined by his league-leading save percentage (.937) and goals-against average (1.89) heading into Monday's action.
"He's America's greatest chance at knocking off one of the big boys come February."
But Miller may need to keep his conditioning up. LeBrun said Miller is easily the skinniest goalie in the league and Miller told him he's lost six pounds six the beginning of the season.
http:// [h3]Habs' heart and soul[/h3]
8:19AM ET
[h5]Andrei Markov |
Canadiens[/h5]
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Apparently the
Montreal Canadiens have been playing without a heart and soul since the season opener. Players say that
Andrei Markov, who has been out since the first game, might be key in turning around a 17-18-3 season thus far.
Georges Laraque told
FanHouse, "Andrei is the heart and soul of our team."
The Habs also get
Brian Gionta back soon, so we might see a more energized team in the coming weeks.
http:// [h3]Laraque mulling KHL[/h3]
8:07AM ET
[h5]Georges Laraque |
Canadiens[/h5]
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NHL enforcer extraordinaire
Georges Laraque might be headed to the KHL soon.
According to
Sport-Express.ru (via
Hockey30.com) Laraque said he almost went to Russia two years ago but decided to stay in the NHL instead.
"I must admit, I always think I might even be better paid [in the KHL than in the NHL]," he said. "And the KHL has become a serious league."
He currently makes $1.5 million per year and has one year left on his contract. But he plays just three to six minutes a contest with little contribution to the actual game, so the Habs might be happy to dump his salary.
http:// [h3]Byfuglien to Habs?[/h3]
7:57AM ET
[h5]Dustin Byfuglien |
Blackhawks[/h5]
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Dustin Byfuglien might be headed to the
Montreal Canadiens, according to
Hockey30.com.
The website says it talked to a "reliable source close to" Habs GM Bob Gainey, and that Gainey has contacted Hawks GM Stan Bowman about acquiring Byfuglien.
Byfuglien has been rumored to be a possible trade target this season because the Blackhawks need to dump salary next offseason. However, the rumored deal out there has the Blackhawks trying to acquire goalie
Jaroslav Halak and a second rounder for Byfulgien, which seems off given that they already have two goalies.
It has been suggested that the Blackhawks might try to dump
Cristobal Huet and go with the cheaper Halak, but the ducks don't seem to be in a row for this one to happen.
http:// [h3]How the Oilers land Jagr[/h3]
7:48AM ET
[h5]Jaromir Jagr[/h5]
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Yesterday we told you the
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=edmEdmonton Oilers may be eying
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=405Jaromir Jagr for next season, when he's out of his KHL contract.
But the Oilers need to get some things in order before they can bring in the future Hall of Famer.
Illegal Curve writes that the Oilers need to shed some salary in the offseason, while exposing owner Daryl Katz to the possibility -- because "Katz likes to try and acquire big-name talent."
The Oilers have been rumored to be trying to dump several high-priced players lately, including
Shawn Horcoff and
Sheldon Souray, but have been unsuccessful.
Jagr still has
a lot of connections with the Oilers. The Edmonton Journal writes, "He has good relationships with the Edmonton Oilers assistant coach Wayne Fleming, who coached in Omsk last season, and Oilers assistant Tom Renney, his head coach in New York. He also has a close friendship with
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1885Ales Hemsky from the Czech national team."
Fleming said he is still very impressed with Jagr -- especially his conditioning -- and that last year he was still the best player on the Czech national team.
http:// [h3]Lightning shopping defenseman[/h3]
7:41AM ET
[h5]Tampa Bay Lightning[/h5]
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The Tampa Bay Lighnting are shopping
Lukas Krajicek after GM Brian Lawton told the
Tampa Tribune that he refuses to put him on re-entry waivers.
Lawton feels he can deal the defenseman soon, because he said this move has to do with saving money in the long-run. If Krajicek was put on re-entry waivers and claimed by another team, the Lightning would have to pay half his remaining salary this season, which comes out to about $400,000.
Tampa was previously rumored to be talking with the
Philadelphia Flyers about a potential trade -- and we know the Flyers will be looking to move after the holiday trade freeze expires -- so there may be something brewing there.